Winter Wheat

[fuel80guy]

Has anybody in ontario had any experience with late season deer hunting over/near winter wheat?
Ive got 3 fields that have been planted at various times.Im just wondering does anyone know if deer prefer the younger wheat or older wheat?

[tracer]

Good Question fuel80guy. Remember those unseasonal warm temperatures we had in Oct. and the summer drought which dried up all the swamps ? Well in my hunting area the deer had change their travel patterns in favor of bedding areas near winter wheat green sprouts. The deer just love those green sprouts . Anyways they will pick away at the winter wheat all winter so setup 50- 100 yards in from the field off a main travel route and good luck.

[hatchet jack]

i live in kansas , deer run to winter wheat all winter long. we use it as food plots. it dosent get as cold in kansas as it does there. but deer love wheat.



hatchet jack

[chris4570]

Does anyone have a pic of what winter wheat would look like at this time of year?? One of the properties I have permission to hunt has something in the fields(was harvested once late summer) growing/still green but is only a few inches tall. Looks like grass.

The deer seem to still be using it, would just like to know for future.

[Big John]

The winter wheat on my property now is about 2"-2 1/2" in. high and the Deer are eating it as well. Watched a Buck eating it for about 15 min. last week. Chris, it look's just like grass growing.

[chris4570]

Thanks John. Any idea how long this stuff is a good food source for? Until it is harvested?

[Big John]

When they know it's there, even when the snow is deeper, they will "paw" through it.

[fletch]

Hey Chris if it was harvest once already in late summer it isn't ww but probably spring wheat just in regrowth from tailing out the back of the combine. Yes the deer do love those fields right now with a little snow they still do as John said "paw" to get at it. Good spot to setup.

[chris4570]

Would this regrowth be in well defined lines? Uniform spacing?

Just want to know more. Not to question.

[fletch]

If it has no spaces between the green then it would be newly planted ww if there is some space like 5-10 feet then it is regrowth of a spring cereal. hope this helps. Either way it doesn't matter to the deer the love both.

[fuel80guy]

Hey folks
Thanks for all the great insight.
I took a walk through the 3 winter wheat fields where i hunt.I figured with the recent snowfall last night that it was the primetime to look for tracks/activity.
Heres my observations.
There were deer tracks through all 3 fields which were adjacent to 3 woodlots.Of all the tracks i saw none were stopping to feed in the winter wheat fields rather they were just passing through.I figured maybe the deer would be heading to the youngest winterwheat field but rather they passed through looking for a picked corn field.
I love tracking deer in the snow.

[bbbwb]

I have come to one conclusion regarding deer feeding and it involves a 4 letter word ---- CORN --- either standing or stubble.For me all other forms of vegetation, deer feed on them sporadically and sparingly and seek out corn first and foremost.

bbbwb

[hatchet jack]

hey cris, winter wheat is harvested in late june or early july that is the end of that crop ,but it is re planted about the first of october & about this time would be about 2 in tall & wont start growing again until spring. now i am talking in kansas, further north it will be later.. it will stay dormant then start growing when it starts worming up then will turn golden color before harvest. yes wheat looks like grass. & makes a great food plot.

hatchet jack

[Big John]

Hatchet: It's the same here. Only a couple weeks later.

[DropTine]

where i'm hunting, there is winter wheat everywhere surrounding my forest with a secluded cut soybean field. As for tracks, i think the deer are hitting the winter wheat more the the cut soy, even though there is still lots of soy still standing that the farmer missed and loads of it on the ground.