[o2hunt]

Went to the farm this weekend with hopes of bowhunting, but the rain kept me in the dry and working up deer for the freezer for the better part of the weekend. I did manage to get out on Sunday to take a gander at the food plots and take a look at some of my dad's bulldozing handy work. I was both glad and dismayed to see the amount of grazing the deer had done since gun season. There isn't any green top left on the turnips and I'd say 80% of the turnip bulbs have been eaten. Didn't think to take a picture of it, but what was a beautiful green field about 3 to 4 weeks ago now looks like it has been tilled up with half eaten turnips littering the ground. I have heard people question the effectiveness of turnips, but I can't see why. This was our first year planting them and I can promise you we will be planting all that we can next year. The deer at our farm didn't start hitting them until late September, and then never let up. We didn't buy any name brand version either. Just the cheap generic stuff the MFA had.:02:

 

[Refuze2falo]

Man I just walked through mine on Saturday and pretty much zero action.I was so mad I pulled a quite large one and threw it at my lil brother........
Really there is nothing happening. Maybe it's not their time yet I guess we will see

 

[Modeerhunter]

I think a lot of it has to do with what else is available. I know in years with poor acorn crops, the deer will tear them up on my place, but when there's plenty of acorns, they hardly touch them.

 

[HabitatMD]

Nothing doing at my local spot. :boohoo: I've got 1.5 acres worth that should smell real nice come spring.

 

[Thayer]

Had no green tops in November...will see if I have bulbs left this weekend.

Did eat a purple top myself last week...I can see how the deer would be attracted to them if there wasn't a buffet available.

 

[limbhanger28]

I am having to keep my family ran out of our turnips. They have decided they love fried turnips and baked turnips.

 

[marshallgrn]

i tried turnips two years ago deer didnt touch them, wont waste my real estate on them again

 

[inkwithattitude]

Well the deer up here wait till the New Zealand ,rape,or froze and covered before they dig them up, but we plant them for winter food anyways

 

[Camp David]

Its a late thing at my place, they will come.

 

[Mecheng]

Right on 02hunt, same here :claphands:

 

[UrbanHunter]

2nd year for mine. Not grazing yet, (except by me... love them raw turnips).

 

[letemgrow]

I planted turnips next to the fall premium perennial Bio-Logic and the deer tore up the tops of the bio-logic, but the actual turnips planted next to them never were touched other than by several possum. They rotted the next spring and smelled realy nice in that bottom. Some were as big as volleyballs so you can imagine the smell.

 

[buckbuster]

mine are completly gone expept some little ones that are in the ground still. all the big ones are gone and there are zero tops left.
brad

 

[Whitmore44]

This is the 2nd time I have planted them and they at all the tops out of one plot in novmember, the other plot since firearm season, and are now starting to eat the tunips themselves. They didn't touch them last year until february but destroyed them when they did.

 

[racks-n-beards]

For a Late season plot I am beggining to think it is nearing the top of the list!!

Sunday evening I hunted near a half acre plot I put in. Got in the stand about 3:30. Got situated and thought I heard something gnawing on a turnip. Turn around and there was a doe Gnawing on a turnip. From that point on, til dark, deer kept piling in. Pawing and gnawing away. It is kinda funny seeing a deer eat a turnip.

By the time it was all over with I had about 10 does and 2 young bucks in that plot all just eating away.

I am thinking next year I will do a full blown turnip plot instead of the mixes I have done up to this point.

 

[Ozarks-Bowhunter]

I planted turnips this year around the end of Aug. I knew they wouldn't get much growth planted that late but man did the deer really tear em up. They got up about 4 inches tall with the root just atarting to make a turnip when the deer started hammering them. I would watch them eat the leaves and then grab hold of the root and start pulling on it untill the root popped out. This was a surprise to me because i have tried them in the past with no use at all. I suppose i
will try them again next year only planted earlier.

 

[cardiackiller]

didnt touch mine...:shrug:

 

[Skduckhunt]

:kewlpics::kewlpics::kewlpics:

 

[Mecheng]

Diggin em out of the ground as I write. :cheers:

 

[DWD]

Didn't read all the posts but Turnips can sometimes take a little time. Think it took 2yrs before they really started using them at Mechengs, now they tear em up, I was lucky to get some for me to eat this year! Those who aren't/didn't have use don't dismiss em too quick, when they freeze and get softer the sugars concentrate and they are like candy....