Winter Wheat

[JKAPP01]

i have never had the opportunity to hunt over winter wheat, but a while back the guy who farms the land i hunt on, planted winter wheat instead of the alfalfa or soy beans, like usual, because of the prices. has anyone ever hunted over winter wheat? is it good for the deer? there is a small section of alfalfa left and everytime i have been out scouting, the deer are in the alfalfa and not the wheat. they don't seem to be responding to it well at all. any advice or knowledge from anyone???

[Born4it]

I'm definitely not an expert, but we have winter wheat down at our farm and they seem to use it a fair amount late in the season...like late December and January. That's the first time they've planted that for quite a while, but I was consistently seeing about 25 deer per day in this 16 acre field in the afternoons.

I'm sure it's good for the deer, otherwise they wouldn't eat it. They have a sense for eating what they need, especially during the winter months. I've heard many more good things about alfalfa than winter wheat though, so it doesn't surprise me to hear they're in that a little more.

Hopefully that clears it up a little :-)

Take care,

Ryan

[Guest bow_hunter101]

Last year the cattle got into our soybean field and ate them to the ground so we planted the whole field with winter wheat. From October to January I saw deer on it everytime I hunted and I shot a buck and a doe off the same field.

[skooba]

Late season is when i see the most deer in them. Have killed 2 deer off of wheat.

[HUNTINGMAN]

We Plant Winter Wheat Every Year Aeound Early Fall And The Deer In My Area Realy Like It.there Is No Corn Or Beens For The Deer To Eat So They Realy Hit The Wheat Hard In The Fall And Winter.

[wtnhunt]

Like to use winter wheat here for a couple reasons. The deer like it, and it helps with holding the soil together over the fall/winter when we typically have heavy rains here.

[OUTDOORLIFE3]

last year was the first time the farmer did that on a piece of property that I hunt and it seemed as tho all the deer just moved over to adjecent properties...i'm just hoping it was just because it was a change that the deer weren't used to and will start eating it more often...but one thing for sure, the turkeys loved it...i had the best spring i ever had, so i dunno

[JKAPP01]

yah the cattle don't get into the crops, thank god, but they are usually in there until middle of october, so it's hard hunting with them spooking everything......should be interesting to see what happens, should check out to be a good year with good crops around here and a good looking herd of deer!

[elkoholic]

The farmers here plant winter wheat in September or October and the deer will head to the wheat fields during the late season as it is the only tender, green plants available at that time. Even then, if you have an alfalfa or clover field next to a winter wheat field the deer will favor the alfalfa/clover. Position of the field may play into it as approach cover (security) and proximity to bedding areas will affect usage. You will just have to wait and see if it is going to pan out as hunt worthy or not.