Deer resistant game cover

Double four

Well-Known Member
Could anyone kindly recommend a deer resistant game cover ? last year i planted some winter cover mix which included stubble turnips,fodder raddish. rape kale, brown mustard etc into a strip of standing barley.
Everything was great but come the rut the whole lot was like a scene from a mud wressling competition, what the hadn't ate they had wallowed in and rolled most of it flat !
I was told that deer wont touch sorgum or elephant grass ? suppose it still wont stop them flattening it though.
Any suggestions would be most welcomed, as im at a loss what to use for next season . DF
 
The same again
just this time it will give you a chance to take a few of the lesser quality beasts as you will be able to study them better knowing that the cover you planted will attract them to a concentrated area
sort of gift horse than a problem
 
The same again
just this time it will give you a chance to take a few of the lesser quality beasts as you will be able to study them better knowing that the cover you planted will attract them to a concentrated area
sort of gift horse than a problem

i would also agree with that :thumb:
 
I know where your coming from but in this area i want to keep a bit of cover for a few birds,
i have another area where they frequent and there is a high seat close by to study them plus its a safer shot. DF
 
Problem is the land you need to plant on and the deer species are the beneficiary factor in this
best way I feel would be for you is put up a few pheasant feeders which are deer fenced and also hand feed with cut Maize and wheat on a regular basis, on some straw feed rides
unfortunately I don't feel you can't hav both in the capacity you may like , but it would make a difference
just not sure the hard work involved will show that
all we can do is try
best wishes
 
Sorgum, Kale, and Miscanthus all work well in heavily deer populated locations. As long as you can get them established.

I'm still amused that people still advise using straw feed rides. Feeding on straw rides is a really old fashioned and out moded method and no longer recommended by those in the know like the GCT. Simply due to the disease and ground souring problems it causes. Far better to use a well adjusted spinner and spin it thin IMO It will save you lots of problems in the long run over bunging bales of straw down and watching them slowly rot over the course of the season.

If using feeders putting a circle of sheep netting around them can work wonders keeping the deer off. Just don't use the smaller type as they will simply knock them over including the stock netting.

Another effective way of manageing the problem. Is electric fencing off your game cover plots. Deer like sheep have a health respect for 6000 volt of electric.

Lack of knowledge is a dangerous game;)
 
I have had excellent results from a medium/short sorghum mix this year. Deer aren't interested and it has stood with leaf cover thoroughout this very hard winter. No feed value so you will need to put feeders in. Certainly it's proved as good as kale.
 
elephant grass is expensive to plant but nothing eats it, early in year when its green it will cut dogs to bits you will find deer will lay up in it when it gets established though so can be of sum use where i live its like elephant grass city 270 acres around house and another 200 a field away from that . when cut in march the deer that live in it are totally lost and easy to shoot for a couple of days then they disperse to other areas give it a try but the more it gets established the thicker it gets in the end its nearly imposible to walk through
 
think your mistake was putting in the beets.The deer have trampled everything else to get at them .You need to put cover in that has no feed value to deer uch as some crops already suggested
We once had problems with badgers flattening the maize to get the cobs,had we planted sorgum ot would not have been a problem as no cobs
 
can you tell me where you get the elephant grass from?
it is planted as a seed or do you need to get an established root system?

cheers.
 
There are a few suppliers of Miscanthus, try any of the game cover specialists. The normal way of planting this crop is by sprouting rhizomes usually supplied in mini pots. Ground needs a decent seedbed .It grows very well and will supply a bit of cover in its second year, from then on stand back and watch it grow. Provides dry cover but no food value. Lasts for years with no imput except to (if you only have a small area) swipe it off in March/April
 
i have ele grass on my shoot for phezy cover yes it is expensive but long term cheap ,reliable cover, we chop down 50% each yr and its not that bad on dogs really .i am going to spray a few rides through it this yr just so i can see the beaters keeping a staight line [i wish ] you are more than welcome to look at mine if your in the northants area
 
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