AaronS Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 If not....you might want to try one. A couple of Saturdays ago I finally had the time to hang some stands and mow my trails and plots. When I got to my first plot I thought "Wow, the drought we are in has really taken its toll on my beans. I could tell that the deer had nipped them some, but they looked like they hadn't grown much. Here is what I saw: When I rounded the corner and could see my bean plot that had the cage in it, I honestly laughed out loud. This is the first year I've ever used one, and I've never used one on my clover plots. I think I will in the future! Here is the cage 5 weeks ago....the last time I was there. Here is what it looked like Saturday. So the moral of the story is.....if you've never tried a utilization cage......go for it! You might be surprised what it will tell you. I sure was. In case anyone wants to know....I used Eagle Seeds late maturing forage soybeans. I wasn't able to plant them until July 23rd (very very late). They've done great with little rain and no fertilizer/lime, and they were broadcast over disced ground then cultipacked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 Tried the Eagle Seeds forage soybeans here this year too. My beans are still being hammered, but think the turkeys are doing as much damage to them as the deer are. Have never used an exclusion cage, but have considered it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 WOW!That's amazing stuff.Looks like they're really hammering the beans. I didn't put any cages on my brassica plot,but I'm thinking of planting a small plot of beans and lab lab next spring and will probably use a cage on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 Wow, they are tearing it up. I've never used a cage but once, which was last year when i did a big plot with 6 different types of seed in it. I had a cage in each to see how it was growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 Yep, I used one a few years ago and it proved to me that the deer weren't frequenting the food plot enough at all to justify putting in a bigger one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 HUH... I guess I should try that out next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 me thinks you need a bigger plot!!!!!! nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxBowHunter Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Looks like its growing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoybeanMan Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Aaron, Have you had a frost yet? We are just now getting down back in the upper 70's and low 80's. I have been harvesting my early soybeans for seed and my Forage Soybeans for seed are still very green, but the beans are touching in the pod. This is what stage they need to reach for good seed quality. Soybeans that mature in cooler temperatures have a lot higher germination and quality than the early maturing soybeans in the heat. You have some major deer pressure, I don't believe I have seen that severity and the soybeans still be alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 No frost yet. We had a high of 92 yesterday and still only an inch or so of rain over the last 2 months. I have these beans planted in three seperate 1/2 acre plots, but the plots are all within 30 yards of each other. It looks like I could definitely use more area planted in beans (as Todd suggests), but of the 6 plots I currently have, I have had to cut them all out of the brush by hand and have run out of room. Right now I have 50% of my plots in annuals and 50% in perennials (1.5 acres each). I hunted Saturday afternoon where I could see parts of all 3 beans plots and watched 4 does feed in one of them. I'm sure there are more deer than that eating them, but with temps in the 90's they were probably feeding later. The weatherman is calling for cooler temps this weekend so hopefully the deer will move better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckNrut Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 That's some serious crop dammage. Maybe you could get some nusiance perimts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QDMAworks4me Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 I don't but after looking at that apparently I should be!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 I always use one. It's amazing what we don't see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bow_hunter101 Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 That's a good idea, I'll have to try that out. Our soybean plot got eaten up down to the dirt 2 weeks before bow season opened, when my uncle's cattle got out!! I was so upset! But I've already taken a doe in the field this year and seen about 8 deer and dozens of turkeys while hunting. We planted some winter wheat a few weeks ago and it is coming up very nicely. It should be a really good plot for this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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