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planting pumpkins for deer? #4075360 02/22/13 07:40 PM
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cameron00 Offline OP
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A guy I work with said he planted pumpkins in his yard once, and they went absolutely crazy shooting vines all over the place. Tons of pumpkins everywhere.

Anyone ever try throwing a few seeds down around your feeder area? That's a lot of fruit production given that each pumpkin weighs like 20 lbs. And doing a little research, deer definitely like them.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075390 02/22/13 07:52 PM
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Don't know about pumpkins. The property next to me is planting watermelons. Deer love watermelon fileds. We see them every morning and every evening standing out there.


Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075395 02/22/13 07:54 PM
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Originally Posted By: cameron00
A guy I work with said he planted pumpkins in his yard once, and they went absolutely crazy shooting vines all over the place. Tons of pumpkins everywhere.

Anyone ever try throwing a few seeds down around your feeder area? That's a lot of fruit production given that each pumpkin weighs like 20 lbs. And doing a little research, deer definitely like them.


My neighbor planted last year and there were vines everywhere. Then hail came and destroyed the whole patch. If you have cows keep them out.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: hook_n_line] #4075397 02/22/13 07:54 PM
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cameron00 Offline OP
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I would be all about planting watermelons, but the soil at my place isn't sandy, and I believe that's a requirement.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075403 02/22/13 07:56 PM
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The soil has to drain quickly.


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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: hook_n_line] #4075412 02/22/13 07:59 PM
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Pumpkins? Never would of thunk it.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: hook_n_line] #4075416 02/22/13 07:59 PM
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cameron00 Offline OP
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I'm not too worried about hail or cows (there aren't any).

Pumpkin seeds are dirt cheap. Just going to plant a bunch of them all over the place and see if they take. If they don't, I'm out like 2 dollars. If they do, I'LL KILL MONSTER 200 CLASS MULTI-DROP WHITETAIL BUCKS with ease.

Maybe.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075421 02/22/13 08:02 PM
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Cool, deer pies!


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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075496 02/22/13 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: cameron00
I'm not too worried about hail or cows (there aren't any).

Pumpkin seeds are dirt cheap. Just going to plant a bunch of them all over the place and see if they take. If they don't, I'm out like 2 dollars. If they do, I'LL KILL MONSTER 200 CLASS MULTI-DROP WHITETAIL BUCKS with ease.

Maybe.


Sweet!

When are you supposed to plant?

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: Closed Traverse] #4075506 02/22/13 08:51 PM
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Anytime after the last frost. Pumpkins can grow on the vine for a long time without going bad, I believe.

Anyhow, if it doesn't work I don't really give a damn.

I'd recommend everyone go out and plant pumpkins asap, or all of your deer are going to migrate to my place. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4075524 02/22/13 08:59 PM
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Yes, deer love pumpkins. They open them by kicking a hole in the side with their hoof. If your deer have never seen pumpkins before, it may take them a couple of years to figure it out.


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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: Texan Til I Die] #4075916 02/22/13 11:34 PM
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I am going to say that the hogs will love them. Gonna have to put a trail cam on them to see how much fun they have rolling them pumpkins around.


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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: stxranchman] #4076056 02/23/13 12:25 AM
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I took a large halloween pumpkin to the lease and set it near my feeder. It was whole, not carved. It sat for several days and was never touched. Eventually I shot it for the fun of it. The pieces still were not touched and just sat there ane rotted, though birds did pick up all the seeds. Deer and hogs did come and got eating my corn. On my game camera I think the only thing I ever got a picture of eating on it was a crow.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: stxranchman] #4076066 02/23/13 12:31 AM
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PUMPKINS.... I'm a pro at it! My largest pumpkin so far is 1,105 pounds official weight. And yes, deer love 'em. But there is more to it then just dropping some seeds around. Like most all veggies, they have a growing lifespan of about 70 - 100 days to maturity. And then if left in the elements they will begin rotting & spoil. The plants will not take the texas heat, so you will have to time your planting spring/fall.



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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: sillyhorses] #4076591 02/23/13 04:34 AM
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Two years ago someone posted about deer loving pumpkins, so being an amateur scientist, I decided to DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ( In Greggo voice). I walked the neighborhood picking up everyones gords and took them to the lease. Broke a few open and left a few whole.

Would you believe every single one of them rotted. Not a single critter took a bite. I did, however, get a picture of a coon getting a drink out of one after a rainstorm.

All deer love pumpkins?
Verdict: Myth BUSTED!

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: Enter Standman] #4076597 02/23/13 04:37 AM
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I'd be willing to bet if they were out there long enough for deer to figure it out before they rotted, they'd have eaten them. You can find tons of pictures of deer eating pumpkins by googling it.

They may not get it the first time, but they will eventually. Just like with protein.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4076611 02/23/13 04:46 AM
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It might be they just like the blooms and shoots of the plant? Just an idea

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: HBone] #4076994 02/23/13 02:41 PM
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I have seen parker county deer eating pumpkins. Smash one open next to your feeder, they eat the seeds and the rind.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: assassinator] #4077538 02/23/13 07:02 PM
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i understand that a deer has to go through a cycle for diet change. I am thinking it is 2 weeks. if the deer are acclimated to the pumpkin, then they will eat it.
i am understanding that they will not change their diet to a non-abundant source of food, because they will have to wait another 2 weeks to change back to what is abundant.
so in essence...if the deer are eating the peas that grow on every farm for 200,000 acres, then they will not eat a few pumpkins laying in the field. they will continue to eat the peas until the farmers change to corn, per say, then they will change to corn.


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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4077549 02/23/13 07:06 PM
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Don't think that's right at all.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: sillyhorses] #4077553 02/23/13 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: sillyhorses
PUMPKINS.... I'm a pro at it! My largest pumpkin so far is 1,105 pounds official weight. And yes, deer love 'em. But there is more to it then just dropping some seeds around. Like most all veggies, they have a growing lifespan of about 70 - 100 days to maturity. And then if left in the elements they will begin rotting & spoil. The plants will not take the texas heat, so you will have to time your planting spring/fall.



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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4077558 02/23/13 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: cameron00
Don't think that's right at all.


maybe a lil reading is in order. one quick search turns up this and i quote

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer

"The white-tailed deer is a ruminant, which means it has a four-chambered stomach. Each chamber has a different and specific function that allows the deer to quickly eat a variety of different food, digesting it at a later time in a safe area of cover. The Whitetail stomach hosts a complex set of bacteria that change as the deer's diet changes through the seasons. If the bacteria necessary for digestion of a particular food (e.g., hay) are absent it will not be digested"

it doesnt say exactly what i said, but i havnt the time, maybe i will later, to find the exact reference i am referring to. but it does give a small piece of the big picture.


edit

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/whitetaileddeer.htm

here is another to describe the way food moves through the body of a deer, coupled with the other about the bacteria,( and there's alot of other info on the web to read) will give ya a better idea of how it goes. i am no expert, just stuff i have read over the years. all this is jmo. (what i believe to be fact)

Last edited by sprinkler specialist; 02/23/13 07:22 PM. Reason: added another source

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Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4077561 02/23/13 07:14 PM
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It doesn't say anything about what you said, actually.

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4077563 02/23/13 07:14 PM
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Whoa

Re: planting pumpkins for deer? [Re: cameron00] #4077564 02/23/13 07:14 PM
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It actually says the exact opposite of what you wrote.

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