max the dog

I'm terrible at guessing range in a hunting situation and it caused me to miss too many times to mention. So this year I'm trying something different for bow season and planting lines of spinach at known ranges. On my property I've got 3 good tree stand locations and at each I planted a 10 foot line of spinach in the likely deer aproaches at the 20 yard, 30 yard and 40 yard distances. Was I wasting my time doing this? Are the deer going to eat the spinach before the season starts or will they ignore it altogether?

psandhu

If the deer are like that cartoon character Popeye The Sailor, you're going to have some big deer around your spot.

greg-dude

If they like spinach as much as I do, it would be there until hell freezes. I think a few well placed stick markers would have been easier.

timbercruiser

I would have used different colored flagging tape. It will also give you a good idea what the wind is doing at ground level.

RonM

If they like spinach as much as I do there wont be much left cause I would get it before the deer had a chance...

kevin1

Sounds good on paper except for one thing ,
spinach will quickly wilt in the heat of Summer . Good idea though , it's environmentally friendly , doesn't deface the land like surveyor's tape , and it sure won't spook the deer . Devilishly clever idea if you ask me .

Maybe turnips instead ? The deer won't touch them until after a frost , and when they do you may just get one to hold still for a shot with it's attention diverted by the newly sweetened greens . Late planted kale would also be a good choice for the same reason . Use the planting date on the seed packet to determine when to plant so you can time it to the deer season .

Dammit ! Now you've got me thinking about it !

max the dog

I couldn't argue with the price as they were left over seed packets from last years garden. I've been getting rid of those old seed packets like that for the past few years and found that the deer are mostly intrested in the young leaves of spinach. The old woody stems usually get left alone and tend to grow tall enough to be visible even in dim light against a grass background. That's what got me thinking of using them as range markers.
I suppose I could've used a stick as a range marker but what's the fun in that.

farm hunter

I'll bet you never see the spinich - the deer and rabbits will gobble it up.

But strips are a good idea, semi-circles are more accurate. I've planted strips - and made sure I know the ranges before - but not on purpose for ranging purposes.

Rock piles work too.

FH