Kentucky Hunting Guide Preference

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. 

We can’t count on cold weather with snow every Kentucky hunting 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 the Kentucky gun hunts as well.