# COTTON & DEER



## SWAMPFOX

Over the years, I have noticed an increase in acreage in my area of cotton and a decrease of soybean acreage. My question is do deer have an affinity for cotton fields? Is there anything about a field of cotton they would prefer other than as escape or bedding cover? I can't picture them eating it but maybe I wrong. Thanks.


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## gtaff

I am intrested in this myself.  I hope you do not mind me tagging along on your thread????


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## duckbill

We have a lot of cotton crops around our lease this year.  I'm going to tag along as well.


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## Booner Killa

In the early stages right when the cotton comes out of the ground and is still tender, deer will eat it like crazy. I've seen a half acre field of cotton be annialated when it comes out of the ground. I didn't think they would eat it either until I dated a cotton farmers daughter and found out when I was in college. Won't touch after it gets about 6-7 inches out of the ground. It gets too tough pretty quick!!!!!!!!!!!


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## captainhook

In our area they still eat the tops when it gets older. They really like to lay in it for some reason. I guess because it's so thick. They also seem at ease crossing it.


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## broadhead

I've seen TONS of deer in one cotton field that borders one of my hunting  properties. They bed down in the tall cotton and browse on the tender tops. They feel safe among the tall plants. I walked within forty yards of a doe bedded down the other afternoon. She didn't spook until I walked by her a second time. You can set your watch by the deer that appear every afternoon.


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## Trizey

I watched a buck bred a doe in cotton field last year.  I walked from 100 yards to within 15 yards before they realized I was there  

I've often seen deer eat the other green shoots that come up in between the rows.


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## Swamprat

I have seen plenty of deer utilize cotton fields.

They love the plants when they first come up and later on will eat the weeds that grow along the edges and between the rows.

As far as what Booner said he is correct, I am though still trying to figure out who plants a half acre of cotton. Really isn't worth firing up the tractor for that amount of land unless you were Amish and was hand planting and picking


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## broadhead

One ten acre field on our hunting property didn't make because the deer overgrazed it this summer.


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## Nugefan

Someone posted a pix or 2 of 2 nice bucks at the edge of a cotton field   ...


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## Al White

Some of our best stands are around cotton fields.  The deer feel secure out in it, and they will eat the tender leaves on the cotton plant.


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## leadoff

Some of the best seasons I have ever had was when the fields adjacent to the pines I hunted were planted with cotton.  Every time cotton was planted next to the pines, I saw, on average, more deer than I had in years past.  It was as if the deer extended their "safety area" beyond the pines and into the high cotton, and actually moved earlier in the evenings and later in the morning throughout the pines.  There were soybean and peanut fields on the other side of the cotton fields, which probably had a lot to do with this as well.  

I have never seen it myself, but I have heard of deer chewing the cotton boll itself to work out the seeds then spitting the cotton fibers out.


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## Rick Alexander

*my uncle tells me*

that deer also figure out that the cotton field has fewer bugs to bother them from the insecticide in the field.  I don't know if that's true but he seems to be right about a lot of other things when it comes to farming.  Last year I shot a nice 8 point at the edge of a cotton field just at legal light.  He ran into the field rather than directly in the woods and I have to tell you I never saw him again until I trailed him back into the woods about 150 yards down.  He ran all over that field before he finally headed to the woods.  Easy to follow though, little red spots on white cotton balls were pretty easy to follow.  Still took me two hours to follow the trail (mark last spot with orange vest - look in circle - move orange vest to new spot).  Cotton provides a great cover.


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## gtaff

I am hunting about maybe 75 to 100 yards back in the pines.  Does that sound likek a good plan?


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## short stop

I have heard farmers around here  tell me deer eat the buds  before they are mature anways we see alot of big deer in cotton around my house


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## SWAMPFOX

*Cotton Field Pix*

This is a big field, probably 20-30 acres. This is looking east. I plan to put a stand in the far inside corner.


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## SWAMPFOX

*Another View*

This is toward the west and I plan to have another stand again in this inside corner.


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## Bladeslinger

*Cotton*

Cotton seed has a high protein content, The deer love it. They will keep the new growth eaten off the edges and after the first harvest they will start picking up the seed.Ive seen farmers feed cotton seed to there hogs for the protein.


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## deuce

A friend of mine told me just this last saturday that they were feeding cotton seeds to deer in texas and it has had amazing results. That's what he says anyway.


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## cowboyron

I would have never guessed..........driving through Ga. and looking at all the cotton fields I figured deer had no use at all for it. Man after reading these post it sure sheds some new light on cotton fields.
Good info guys.


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## horsecreek

blade is correct. cotton seed is very high in protein! 40plus %.


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## spring

I have a few cotton fields on my farm and seeing deer in them is a fairly rare. They pass through ocassionally throughout the growing season, but to see them out there chomping down on a cotton plant is something I see little sign of.  On the other hand, they love a peanut field and can do a lot of damage to corn as they eat it off the cob both on and off the stalk. 
Here's a pic of one of my cotton fields:


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## pitbull

Mu hunting land is soybeans peanuts and cotton. I always see droppings with cotton seeds in it. It doesn't look like deer droppings does anyone no what kinda poop this might be??????


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