Prevent your fields from becoming a wildlife food plot
Deer can be both majestic and maddening — depending on which side of the fence you find them. They make for an exciting pursuit during hunting season, but they also can wreak havoc in your fields.
In crop fields, deer can graze, trample and bed. Depending on your crop’s stage, this can have economic consequences.
“Deer will feed on immature corn tassel tissue in the whorl during mid- to late-June and also on developing ears in early- to mid-August at the milk stage,” says Bob Nieslen, Purdue University Extension corn specialist. “The decapitated plants usually survive, and ear development will continue through pollination and on to maturity, though the ears are usually less than full size.”
The bigger issues tend to happen in seed corn production fields, says Eric Anderson, Michigan State University Extension field crops educator.
“They have an affinity for certain hybrids,” he says. “They can take out significant portions of male rows, which is obviously problematic for seed production.”
In soybeans, deer forage on young plants. They tend to feed closer to tree lines, Anderson says, often returning to the same area to graze.
“This is not usually problematic in soybeans, unless they mow down a large patch,” he says. “If there’s enough time between deer feedings, the plants can compensate and bush back out. So you don’t end up with dead patches, just stunted plant growth in an area.”
HOW TO CONTROL
If deer cause major yield damage in your fields, you’ll want to take an integrated pest management approach to controlling them and preventing damage, says Robert Pierce, University of Missouri Extension wildlife specialist. This could include, one or more of the following strategies:
Population Management: “Hunting provides the most efficient and often the only type of population management,” Pierce says. “If you’re not a hunter, recruit some. Be sure to contact your state Department of Natural Resources or Department of Conservation for information on hunting regulations and seasons. Work with neighbors to encourage them to allow hunting, as deer damage often affects several farms in a community.”
Fencing: If you are protecting high-value crops, fencing may be the best, albeit expensive, solution, Anderson says. Options include electric fences, high-tensile wire or mesh fences.
Vegetation Management: “To reduce damage to crops, leave as much open area as possible between field edges and planted material,” Pierce says. “Clear underbrush from field edges to a width of about 60" to reduce cover for deer. Mow this area several times a year. You can also implement a forest management plan for nearby woods to promote a source of young, succulent plants, which are preferred deer foods.”
Repellents: You can find a suite of products to repel deer, Anderson says. They can be liquids or powders and vary in cost and effectiveness. “Be aware many of these are short-lived solutions since they can wash off in the rain,” he says.
Did You Know?
- The U.S. is home to 25 million whitetail deer.
- Grown deer can eat around 2,000 lb. of plant matter annually.
- Deer damage in crop fields is typically limited to the outer rows around the field edges.
- In the wild, their average lifespan is 4.5 years.
- An average buck weight is 150 lb. to 300 lb., while does tend to weigh 88 lb. to 198 lb.
- Deer communicate through scent, sound, body language and marking.
Sara Schafer uses her Missouri farm roots to cover crop management, business topics, farmland and more.
