Originally Posted By: coosa
Stan, how do you manage the sunflowers to hold birds that long? And how do you grow them at all with so many deer around? I'm able to grow browntop but I can't grow sunflowers. The deer eat them as soon as they come up.


Steve, I really don't know for certain why they stayed in the sunflowers this year so long. They usually don't. But, this year has not been normal. The winter has been extremely wet, but more importantly to this issue, extremely warm. I was told many years ago by some supposedly knowledgeable game officials, that in cold weather, doves can't get enough energy to survive from sunflowers, that they will need a better source of energy, like cornfields or peanut fields. There's been no cold this winter to speak of. Maybe that's part of it ?

Deer? Arghhhh!! They're my nemesis. Our best method to keep them out, so far, has been keeping a heavy band of milorganite all the way around the field until they get almost mature. You have to replace it after every significant rain event, but it helps tremendously. A deer proof fence might be better, but the capital investment up front can be prohibitive.

SRH


Last edited by Stan; 01/15/19 06:57 PM.
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