what order does wheat fall

[deereload]

just wondering - all else being equel - in what order does wheat fall into as compared to corn and beans as far as a prefeered food source for deer - thanks for your insight

[Bonecrusher101]

Late season it can be very attractive to deer. Mainly when winter wheat is one of the only green foods. I've seen more does and small bucks eat it. The mature bucks I've killed late season were full of rotten acorns. Not much fat and protein in winter wheat. I've also seen deer eat green briars late season. Mature buck isn't stepping out in open hardwoods or ag fields during day light, unless he's on a hot doe.

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[Bucky]

I have seen some BIG bucks in WW... but mainly late season. Once the snow flies and it is still green. Remember, post rut, bucks are SO run down they are practically forced to eat to survive. If WW is easily available they will step out in low light to eat it.

Just watch the guys in Iowa gun hunting into Jan, deer come out to feed in droves even on pressured lands... they are forced to eat to survive at that point in the season. (NO, WW is not their first food plot of choice, but winter rye is planted in many of them). Maybe on land that has been pounded both rifle season and again muzzleloader with be unproductive here in WI... but I typically leave me lease alone rifle season and the deer pile into it. Then the last few days of muzzleloader in WI (early Dec to mid Dec) I try to pick the coldest days to hunt over food/snow helps too (it almost causes the deer to panic that the food source is being covered with snow). The last few years I have had at least a 3yr old buck come out to feed in the 3 or 4 PM sits I do late muzzleloader. This is heavily hunted rifle area too... I'd say a couple hunters per every 40 acres.

[Bonecrusher101]

I should have re worded my earlier post, to include my area, and should never use isn't when referring to what a mature buck will do.

In the mid south (western tn) we do not have much snow or bitter cold, typically. There are still other food sources available for deer in my area, most years during late season. Deer here are rarely driven to feed in fields during daylight when it could cost their life on the public lands I frequent. The majority of ice and snow we do get is after the season ends in jan and feb.

That being said if you had a large hungry population of deer with little pressure and a sudden daytime drop in temp when a cold front is coming, winter wheat could be great.

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[Southern Man]

just wondering - all else being equel - in what order does wheat fall into as compared to corn and beans as far as a prefeered food source for deer - thanks for your insight

They're in no way equal. Not in West KY anyway. Winter wheat grows in the winter months, not the same time frame as corn and soybeans. Usually here winter wheat is planted after corn is picked and soybeans are long gone.

If all 3 did grow at the same time, soybeans would trump the other 2. Deer do feed on winter wheat, but at the same time they'll feed in picked corn fields and second growth soybean fields (if it's before we have a killing frost)

[quote="Bonecrusher101")
I've also seen deer eat green briars late season.[/quote]

You won't see a patch of greenbriar that hasn't been eaten on around here

[JoeRE]

Yea I suspect it has a lot to do with location. In the winter months in the northern midwest deer pound winter wheat and rye as Bucky says because its one of the few green foods out there. It can be really good in early spring as well because it is one of the first things to green up - and spring food is very important for healthy deer.

If you have standing beans and corn - they will hit that until it is gone then switch to the wheat and rye, so its lower in that ranking.

Although it has lower nutritional content than most other "food plot" crops it is very good for your soil if anybody cares about that...

[Bucky]

My discussion is based out of WI... I guess I forget to realize we have guys from all over the country on here. I agree with JoeRE... it is beans > corn > WW/Rye

I like it though for Jan/Feb... a big WW or Rye field is huge draw for deer Jan/Feb and great for finding shed antlers

[Hawthorne]

I don't see them eating it here in southern Michigan till late winter early spring. Maybe because there's usually lots of corn and beans still on the ground till December then the deer eat woody browse till green up.

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[Southern Man]

I like it though for Jan/Feb... a big WW or Rye field is huge draw for deer Jan/Feb and great for finding shed antlers

Same here. The winter wheat fields in Late December and January are great.