Turnips

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BigHills BuckHunter
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Turnips

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:18 am

I realize its December but I am already thinking about what to plant in foodplots next year. I was thinking about turnips because I have heard a lot of good stuff about them.

Do any of you plant turnips? How are the results? I would also like to know what season are they getting eaten? Ive heard winter is a great time, but I was wondering if they could be a early season foodsource as well?

Any other all season foodsource ideas would be appreciated. Thanks 8-)


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Re: Turnips

Unread postby phade » Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:51 am

Brassica is a great choice for cold climates. The real draw is after a few frosts when the starches turn to sugar in the tunrips, rape, kale, etc.

Seems like Daikon Radish is a hot pick lately. Purple Top Turnip and Dwarf Wssex Rape are good choices.

One thing, and I've had mixed results with this, is that sometimes the first year of a brassica planting (it is an annual), may not be fully hit by the deer for some reason. I believe it has to do with deer in the area not being used to eating it historically. Year two always seems to get hammered. Sometimes they jump on them right away, though.

I've also seen areas with low quality food sources with a brassica plot of 1/2 acre to 1 acre get mowed down in a day or two. They'll usually come back and paw the ground for the root food (turnips) later on. But, I've seen a lightswitch effect...not attention, full vegetation, come back a few days later, and looks like a wasteland from the use.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:57 am

phade wrote:Brassica is a great choice for cold climates. The real draw is after a few frosts when the starches turn to sugar in the tunrips, rape, kale, etc.

Seems like Daikon Radish is a hot pick lately. Purple Top Turnip and Dwarf Wssex Rape are good choices.

One thing, and I've had mixed results with this, is that sometimes the first year of a brassica planting (it is an annual), may not be fully hit by the deer for some reason. I believe it has to do with deer in the area not being used to eating it historically. Year two always seems to get hammered. Sometimes they jump on them right away, though.

I've also seen areas with low quality food sources with a brassica plot of 1/2 acre to 1 acre get mowed down in a day or two. They'll usually come back and paw the ground for the root food (turnips) later on. But, I've seen a lightswitch effect...not attention, full vegetation, come back a few days later, and looks like a wasteland from the use.


You might PM Bucky. He is a wealth of knowledge concerning food plots.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby matt1336 » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:23 am

phade wrote:Brassica is a great choice for cold climates. The real draw is after a few frosts when the starches turn to sugar in the tunrips, rape, kale, etc.

Seems like Daikon Radish is a hot pick lately. Purple Top Turnip and Dwarf Wssex Rape are good choices.

One thing, and I've had mixed results with this, is that sometimes the first year of a brassica planting (it is an annual), may not be fully hit by the deer for some reason. I believe it has to do with deer in the area not being used to eating it historically. Year two always seems to get hammered. Sometimes they jump on them right away, though.

I've also seen areas with low quality food sources with a brassica plot of 1/2 acre to 1 acre get mowed down in a day or two. They'll usually come back and paw the ground for the root food (turnips) later on. But, I've seen a lightswitch effect...not attention, full vegetation, come back a few days later, and looks like a wasteland from the use.



I've had similar results. I have a property in northern WI and can't get the turnips to last into fall. I've planted them in southern WI and had then ignored all year for the first year. The second year they were ignored until December and January. The deer didn't actually finish the half acre plot off and I had turnips rotting in spring. They stink.

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Last edited by matt1336 on Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:24 am

Deerslayer is also a great resource when it come to food plots.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:31 am

matt1336 wrote:
phade wrote:Brassica is a great choice for cold climates. The real draw is after a few frosts when the starches turn to sugar in the tunrips, rape, kale, etc.

Seems like Daikon Radish is a hot pick lately. Purple Top Turnip and Dwarf Wssex Rape are good choices.

One thing, and I've had mixed results with this, is that sometimes the first year of a brassica planting (it is an annual), may not be fully hit by the deer for some reason. I believe it has to do with deer in the area not being used to eating it historically. Year two always seems to get hammered. Sometimes they jump on them right away, though.

I've also seen areas with low quality food sources with a brassica plot of 1/2 acre to 1 acre get mowed down in a day or two. They'll usually come back and paw the ground for the root food (turnips) later on. But, I've seen a lightswitch effect...not attention, full vegetation, come back a few days later, and looks like a wasteland from the use.



I've had the American results. I have a property in northern WI and can't get the turnips to last into fall. I've planted them in southern WI and had then ignored all year for the first year. The second year they were ignored until December and January. The deer didn't actually finish the half acre plot off and I had turnips rotting in spring. They stink.

[ Post made via iPad ] Image

I had along chat with Deerslayer about this very subject. He said the quality of the plant itself makes a huge difference in why deer eat them or not. Kind of made sense when you think about it. Good sweet corn is way better tasting than junk sweet corn. Talk to Lance about it.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:55 am

I have planted many different kinds of brassicas the past 3 years...

How many acres do you plan on planting?
What is the purpose/intent?
What is the location you have available to plant (low, high, near bedding etc) Placement and design is probably more important than what you plant if you are gonna try to kill off it...
Depending on population of deer and type of brassicas you plant I have had deer start on mine every year now in August and munch right up until about now when they are gone :L:

Brassicas, winter wheat, and winter rye are in my opinion the easiest crops to grow with minimal tools or resources...
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:18 am

Bucky wrote:I have planted many different kinds of brassicas the past 3 years...

How many acres do you plan on planting?
What is the purpose/intent?
What is the location you have available to plant (low, high, near bedding etc) Placement and design is probably more important than what you plant if you are gonna try to kill off it...
Depending on population of deer and type of brassicas you plant I have had deer start on mine every year now in August and munch right up until about now when they are gone :L:

Brassicas, winter wheat, and winter rye are in my opinion the easiest crops to grow with minimal tools or resources...

Have you done any forage oats? Just wondering what your results were if you had planted any.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:20 am

Stanley wrote:
Bucky wrote:I have planted many different kinds of brassicas the past 3 years...

How many acres do you plan on planting?
What is the purpose/intent?
What is the location you have available to plant (low, high, near bedding etc) Placement and design is probably more important than what you plant if you are gonna try to kill off it...
Depending on population of deer and type of brassicas you plant I have had deer start on mine every year now in August and munch right up until about now when they are gone :L:

Brassicas, winter wheat, and winter rye are in my opinion the easiest crops to grow with minimal tools or resources...

Have you done any forage oats? Just wondering what your results were if you had planted any.


I did on a little experimental plot in cover (deer smashed em and early)
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:54 am

Bucky wrote:I have planted many different kinds of brassicas the past 3 years...

How many acres do you plan on planting?
What is the purpose/intent?
What is the location you have available to plant (low, high, near bedding etc) Placement and design is probably more important than what you plant if you are gonna try to kill off it...
Depending on population of deer and type of brassicas you plant I have had deer start on mine every year now in August and munch right up until about now when they are gone :L:

Brassicas, winter wheat, and winter rye are in my opinion the easiest crops to grow with minimal tools or resources...


The purpose is to use it as a kill spot for bucks.
Location is on top of a ridge with thick buck bedding nearby.
Size of the plot would be about a 1/2 acre.

Maybe there is a better food choice for this situation?
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:19 am

Turnips would be the most bang for the buck... they are pretty easy to grow too. I'm here to help with any ?s

What is in the local that you plan to plant? Is it currently an agriculture field? Any chance you could talk your family into another acre = 1.5 acres

0.5 acres with a good deer population will get destroyed... sounds like you have a good deer population where you hunt

Cost will be cheap cheap... the 1st year. Successive years will require fertilizer which costs $$$
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby dan » Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:48 am

Deer slayers Crimson trail worked awesome for me this year... I also tried his brassica mix, and they really hammered the radishes in the brassicas, and I don't think that was in the crimson trail blend. We had good bucks hitting it all season in an area we don't usually see anywhere near that number, and it really picked up in the last week or so. I think if you took his Crimson trail blend and asked him to add some radishes it would be an awesome and easy crop.
Bucky hit home with a great point about placement and size. If your going to kill big bucks on the plot, placement and keeping it somewhat small is important, a 1/2 acre is pretty big for a killing spot.
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:55 am

I too have found deer prefer forage radishes the most out of the mixes of brassicas I have planted.... If you plant a mix heavy in dwarf esox rape deer will tend to hit that earlier in the season vs turnips later in the season... I had a whopper on WI opener come out and feed in rape with plenty of daylight left... but it was a secluded plot with water close by (drought this season), so the water might have been the bigger draw...
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Turnips

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:06 pm

Thanks for the help guys 8-)


Bucky: I will send more detailed info in the PM. Working on it now. ;)


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