Why are Kentucky Hunting Guides not planted Brassica’s in
Kill Plots?
Going deer hunting in Kentucky starts in early September and
it is super hot! The weather Kentucky
deals with plays a key role when deer managers in Kentucky are deciding what
they plant is their seasonal and year-round food plot.
In Kentucky, we can’t count on cold weather with snow every
season. Most know that brassicas
(turnips) turn starches into sugars when we get a frost and this becomes more
desirable for the deer. The problem with
planting brassicas in Kentucky has several fronts. The on and off again cold in Kentucky can
cause those turnips to prematurely sour and rot. You’ll read articles about Kentucky deer
hunting is at it’s finest when the deer have decided to eat on the sugar-rich
turnips in the ground that the brassicas have produced. You’ll also hear about some Kentucky deer
herds needing a few seasons to realize these turnips are edible and they slowly
will get used to eating them. Kentucky
just doesn’t have the weather to count on the growing of brassicas
Now brassicas do produce wonderful leafy vegetation the deer
love! I have planted brassicas in
several food plots year and year because the deer do in fact love the
leaves. However, year after year I’m
disappointed when they just haven’t acquired the taste for turnips and leave
1,000’s and 1000’s in the ground untouched.
I believe this is in part due to the rotting effect the drastic cold
then the drastic heat from Kentucky produces.
Kentucky hunting guides, like myself, are choosing to go to
the “rape” species of turnip. Rape
creates a much smaller bulb in the ground, but still produces the big leafy
greens like the brassicas. Instead of
having that rotting turnip causes problem with your soil, the rape will use
less nutrients to put into the bulb and focus the nutrient up to the green
vegetation. For those who Kentucky bow
hunt, this is a great food plot that comes up great in early September and will
last on into late November to cover all those Kentucky deer hunts as well.
