# Oats as a deer attractant???



## mr. buck (Jan 11, 2009)

Hey guys, hoping some of you with more knowledge than I have could weigh in on this. The rancher we lease from called the other day and suggested he would like to plant oats for the fall instead of "that high dollar biologic seed I've been planting for you." He seemed to think they'd work well as everyone around us plants wheat. So quick question is this; are oats better at atrratcing deer than wheat if everyone around us plants wheat? and are they a more cost effective alternative to biologix (he's been planting two 10 acre fields for us but the biologic hasnt' done so great in the area we hunt 30 miles NE of Abilene.) Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

I do oats every year, plant in early fall. Is it better, I have no clue.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Oats would be great, especially if the Biologic hasn't been doing well in your area.


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## TxDuSlayer (Jun 24, 2006)

If you have a rancher/land owner thats willing to plant it for you tell him to pull the trigger! Deer like oats but I found they really love peas!!! Good luck hope your rancher isn't planning on planting til about September.


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## bayou vista (Jun 28, 2008)

dont know about the other stuff they love oats at my place and they stay green and grow all winter


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## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

Oats, oats, and more oats, if you look at whats in most of that high dollar game seed it is mostly oats #1 or wheat with very small amounts of other forage. You cannot go wrong with oats.


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## drathe3112 (May 30, 2008)

We plant a "Texas Mix" of Oats, Wheat, Rye and Peas. According to the almanac, needs to be done the 3rd or 4th weekend of September. Downside is it jacks with early teal season...


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## mr. buck (Jan 11, 2009)

thanks for the replies. just called him back and we will be planting oats sometime after labor day. we pay for the seed and he plants it. the only caveat is he gets to turn his cows out into it after the season. we have protein feeders every 300 acres and good natural browse so i don't think it stresses them too badly.


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## Blastn & Castn (Mar 11, 2010)

Oats & FERTILIZER! Stong growth & deer hit them harder... Wish for rain also! Cows not so bad to let them knock it down. Deer like the tender new growth.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

Fertilizer is the key.


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## El Sauz (Aug 14, 2009)

It is possible that I'm wrong but growing deer is my job, managing over 30,000 acres of south texas.... Oats is not a forbe or a browse, deer are first foragers then browsers... less the 2% of their daily diet is grazable food. Obviously deer love new growth of any sort but I feel people get their rocks off about planting oats because its easy. You spread the sead and it always grows. You should stick to your peas or clovers, if your serious about feeding your deer stop being lazy and put some thought into it. FARM for your deer, you have to prepare your soil, allow your disturbed soil to gather moisture, test and fertilze, redisturb and plant. Just throwing seed out on works when planting grass... Think about it.


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

We plant sweet sorghum(milo) and works great. It grows good in dry climates souch as in South Texas. This stuff is what they make molasas form.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

El Sauz said:


> It is possible that I'm wrong but growing deer is my job, managing over 30,000 acres of south texas.... Oats is not a forbe or a browse, deer are first foragers then browsers... less the 2% of their daily diet is grazable food. Obviously deer love new growth of any sort but I feel people get their rocks off about planting oats because its easy. You spread the sead and it always grows. You should stick to your peas or clovers, if your serious about feeding your deer stop being lazy and put some thought into it. FARM for your deer, you have to prepare your soil, allow your disturbed soil to gather moisture, test and fertilze, redisturb and plant. Just throwing seed out on works when planting grass... Think about it.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Terrific difference in where your working and these guys are hunting. What works in South Texas is not the same in North Texas. Where you have cold weather in South Texas, they have winter! Oats are certainly more winter hardy than peas or clovers.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Sorry I am so late. I don't know how I missed this thread. I manage deer for a living too (I take care of places from south Texas to south GA to FL). I grow food plots for deer on over 10,000 acres in GA. That's big country in that part of the world.

The question that a good biologist should ask before giving you random advice like some from above: What goals are you trying to achieve by planting food plots? If it is merely to attract deer then you can't go wrong with oats (or some other cereal grain). It is easy to grow, low maintenance and deer love new growth cereal grains. They will also provide a good carb. source for one of the most stressfull periods of a buck's year (the rut).

If nutrition is the goal, I can help here as well but will not bore 2Cool with a lenghty description. PM if interested and I will reply with what I do and what I have tried that didn't work.

IMHO stay away from blended seed food plot formulations (biologic, tecomate, pennington, etc). They generally contain good seed but the problem comes in the correct planting method. I never understood how you are supposed to plant a mixture of peas (big seed, deeper planting), clover (tiny seed, shallow planting) and oats (medium seed, medium planting) and get a good stand of all 3. If the mixture contains like seed sizes then it makes sense but planting multiple seed sizes together in a mix will greatly reduce the germination rate and success of the seeds. Not to mention they are expensive.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*OATS?*

We always planted OATS ,WHEAT ,ELBON RYE after thats in ground Hit it with light seeding of clover.All said Oats come on first while weather is cool then as its colder the rest come on.!!!!!!!!!!CVA34


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

X2.. the oats are used to suppliment the herd in the late fall and winter after the normal browse has been killed by freeze or depleted.. think about it..Walker


Texas Jeweler said:


> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> Terrific difference in where your working and these guys are hunting. What works in South Texas is not the same in North Texas. Where you have cold weather in South Texas, they have winter! Oats are certainly more winter hardy than peas or clovers.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Heck the best I recall oats was the original food plot seed. Now its most everything that will grow in the winter. Yes things change but oats will be fine as an attractant..if you can plant a big enough plot that the deer doesent eat it down befoe it ever gets mature.

Charlie


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> Heck the best I recall oats was the original food plot seed. Now its most everything that will grow in the winter. Yes things change but oats will be fine as an attractant..if you can plant a big enough plot that the deer doesent eat it down befoe it ever gets mature.
> 
> Charlie


X2...

TH


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

cattle and deer will walk over wheat and rye to get to oats.
it may not be a forbe, but deer will graze an oat field to the dirt.


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