Deer damage

[from H to 80]

we have had an explosion in the deer population around here. A sample of the destruction 

[searcyfarms]

wow not sure where you are in missouri but we are still struggling to get numbers back up from the 2012 and 2015 kills, lost a few more in 19 so its been a rough go for them around our area, turkey are really dwindling too. 

We dont shoot doe anymore, just bucks. 

[Reichow7120]

57 minutes ago, from H to 80 said:

we have had an explosion in the deer population around here. A sample of the destruction 

Not saying it isn't deer. But raccoons can wreak havoc exactly like that too. We would know.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

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Mike

[Dirtscooter5]

I am in central Missouri, 2012 EHD was the best thing that ever happened around here for farmers. The deer are back with a vengeance and absolutely destroy beans. I’m not talking edges of fields I’m talking eating the whole field off to the point of no return. I have been killing 60-80 between nuisance tags and regular tags for several years now and can’t tell I’m getting ahead of them yet. We have buck hunters only around here. It’s terrible, there are so many problems in farming nothing more aggravating them deer destroying your crop after you fight all the other battles. 
for anyone thinking they need more deer I would suggest you manage them before they get out of hand. If you do the math does having twins multiplies very quickly 

[searcyfarms]

17 minutes ago, Dirtscooter5 said:

I am in central Missouri, 2012 EHD was the best thing that ever happened around here for farmers. The deer are back with a vengeance and absolutely destroy beans. I’m not talking edges of fields I’m talking eating the whole field off to the point of no return. I have been killing 60-80 between nuisance tags and regular tags for several years now and can’t tell I’m getting ahead of them yet. We have buck hunters only around here. It’s terrible, there are so many problems in farming nothing more aggravating them deer destroying your crop after you fight all the other battles. 
for anyone thinking they need more deer I would suggest you manage them before they get out of hand. If you do the math does having twins multiplies very quickly 

we dont have that issue in MO where I hunt, maybe its the cats, maybe its the yotes, maybe its the poachers, living near the interstate and rumors saying the flies that carry the diseases coming from trailers is one theory that is keeping them infected and numbers down - some study was done and the low numbers within 5 miles each side of interstates was notable from carcass and infected animals. 

[IH Forever]

I think I shared this before, this is from last fall. We usually have some deer damage. But this is from raccoons I believe. Next to some creek bottom timber. 
 

[hobbyfarm]

Lots and lots of deer here.  This year they are having a concurrent doe and buck rifle season.  I would imagine a heck of a slaughter is coming.  Last time they did the concurrent season it knocked them back pretty good.  There are some things I would like to grow here but I know the deer will destroy them.

[Dirtscooter5]

Exactly there are guys around here switching to Milo because they just can’t grow soybeans anymore In certain areas. But you can just grow Milo every year so what’s a guy to do?  The conservation is very slow to react, for example we have a 600 acres piece of timber that’s conservation land between 2 farms we farm. For years they made you use an any deer tag on the conservation area even if you shoot a doe to discourage harvesting does. Meanwhile with nuisance tags we killed 35 on either side out of season and they all rotted. Because that makes sense right? But it does to the college educated wildlife biologist sitting behind the desk making the rules and regulations. This year me and my agent complained enough that they finally changed that regulation. Around here though we have so many horn hunters it’s not even funny so I expect to have to keep doing all the work out of season like I have been. 

[from H to 80]

This is definitely deer, tracks and droppings everywhere,but we have plenty of coons and squirrels at they all you can eat buffet as well.

[jass1660]

Black bears can do some real damage too.

[acem]

I used to grow a couple acres of purple hull peas every year. The past few years the deer have kept them mowed down. 

The deer are out of hand here.

Thx-Ace 

[Takn4aFool]

4 hours ago, IH Forever said:

I think I shared this before, this is from last fall. We usually have some deer damage. But this is from raccoons I believe. Next to some creek bottom timber. 
 

that looks more like beaver damage....taking the stalks for their dam

[cm228]

6 hours ago, hobbyfarm said:

Lots and lots of deer here.  This year they are having a concurrent doe and buck rifle season.  I would imagine a heck of a slaughter is coming.  Last time they did the concurrent season it knocked them back pretty good.  There are some things I would like to grow here but I know the deer will destroy them.

I read they are doing that again for the full 2 weeks if I’m not mistaken. 
 

It’s hard to see the deer damage in the hay fields sometimes but my parents were watching the deer in some of the potato fields that the neighbors have in they were seeing the deer paw the potato’s out of the ground and chewing them up 

 

Matt

[hobbyfarm]

19 minutes ago, cm228 said:

I read they are doing that again for the full 2 weeks if I’m not mistaken. 
 

It’s hard to see the deer damage in the hay fields sometimes but my parents were watching the deer in some of the potato fields that the neighbors have in they were seeing the deer paw the potato’s out of the ground and chewing them up 

 

Matt

Yes.  I only breezed through the hunting guide but I believe it's the full 2 weeks including the first Sunday.  Last fall we would see 20 to 30 at a time grazing the young triticale and eating in the hay fields/pasture.  They graze like sheep do.  Hard to measure the damage but 20+ per evening make a dent I would think.

[Dirtscooter5]

34 minutes ago, hobbyfarm said:

Yes.  I only breezed through the hunting guide but I believe it's the full 2 weeks including the first Sunday.  Last fall we would see 20 to 30 at a time grazing the young triticale and eating in the hay fields/pasture.  They graze like sheep do.  Hard to measure the damage but 20+ per evening make a dent I would think.

It absolutely does. Id say 3-4 deer would eat the equivalent of a cow, A guy would not be having it if the neighbors cattle got out in his corn or bean field and would expect compensation for the damages. Conservation just expects us to feed their deer for free while they buy land and turn it into a brush pile so the deer pour off areas they own to eat our crops. All the while they make their sales tax money and money off selling tags. I love hunting deer as much as anyone but there are just way too many and most people don’t understand the damage until they whiteness it first hand. 

[hobbyfarm]

1 hour ago, Dirtscooter5 said:

It absolutely does. Id say 3-4 deer would eat the equivalent of a cow, A guy would not be having it if the neighbors cattle got out in his corn or bean field and would expect compensation for the damages. Conservation just expects us to feed their deer for free while they buy land and turn it into a brush pile so the deer pour off areas they own to eat our crops. All the while they make their sales tax money and money off selling tags. I love hunting deer as much as anyone but there are just way too many and most people don’t understand the damage until they whiteness it first hand. 

Are you in PA?  They really are turning part of the state game lands next to me into a brush pile.  They mowed the brush strips in the spring.  Nothing but weeds now.  All the tasty stuff is at the properties that border them. 

They was an article that their master plan over the next several years is to kick the farmers out of the game land leases.  It will be interesting to see if our license $ will be used to brush hog more weed fields or pay the game commission to pretend farm.

 

[ky966boy]

I filled my tags last year trying to do my part but I really thin them out in the spring with the discbine. I wouldn’t hit one on purpose but they hard to see .

[TomH]

40 minutes ago, hobbyfarm said:

Are you in PA?  They really are turning part of the state game lands next to me into a brush pile.  They mowed the brush strips in the spring.  Nothing but weeds now.  All the tasty stuff is at the properties that border them. 

They was an article that their master plan over the next several years is to kick the farmers out of the game land leases.  It will be interesting to see if our license $ will be used to brush hog more weed fields or pay the game commission to pretend farm.

 

In the game lands near me, they used to mow strips on each side of the hedge rows, plant feed strips of millet, milo etc and plant rows of corn in the open areas. This gave the deer feed and cover and that kept the deer at home. When everybody and his brother showed up for hunting season there were plenty of deer. These days they don't plant anything and do less than half the mowing they used to. Now as you said the deer go to the edges and feed on crops whereas before they had no reason to leave.

[Dirtscooter5]

2 hours ago, hobbyfarm said:

Are you in PA?  They really are turning part of the state game lands next to me into a brush pile.  They mowed the brush strips in the spring.  Nothing but weeds now.  All the tasty stuff is at the properties that border them. 

They was an article that their master plan over the next several years is to kick the farmers out of the game land leases.  It will be interesting to see if our license $ will be used to brush hog more weed fields or pay the game commission to pretend farm.

 

I’m in central Missouri, most conservation areas around here, unless they are for ducks are poorly managed IMO and any tillable acres are left to grow up in trees and brush. The 600 acre conservation area I mentioned earlier used to have 60 acres of tillable before they bought it. Now you can hardly walk thru most of the tillable acres 

[from H to 80]

9 hours ago, Dirtscooter5 said:

I’m in central Missouri, most conservation areas around here, unless they are for ducks are poorly managed IMO and any tillable acres are left to grow up in trees and brush. The 600 acre conservation area I mentioned earlier used to have 60 acres of tillable before they bought it. Now you can hardly walk thru most of the tillable acres 

I agree 100% all they want to do is buy more ground instead of doing a better job of managing what they have. I have hunted on state land in Kansas and they do a good job of it . I don't know if they plant the crops ,or local farmers,but a certain percentage is left standing for the wildlife.

[IH Forever]

16 hours ago, Takn4aFool said:

that looks more like beaver damage....taking the stalks for their dam

I suppose that's possible.  Although they would need to drag it quite a ways to get to the crick.  Not sure if there are beavers in the creek or not.