I thought I would share a little proof of concept I have going on in the backyard. We didn’t plant soybeans at the farm until August this year due to scheduling difficulties, but regardless I planted a little section in the backyard too (just for the heck of it). The first image below is from September 13th and pretty much every bean had been nipped on to some degree by neighborhood deer. Eagle Seed makes a pretty big deal about how their beans will keep coming back (second image) as long as there is a leaf or two remaining (do generic beans do this too? I don’t know). After these first two pictures were taken I started putting out a couple cups of Milorganite every couple of weeks. Basically there has been almost no browsing since then. I put out the last application of Milorganite yesterday so I expected deer to be back in the beans in a few weeks. The third picture is from this evening, October 10.

I mention all this because I know some struggle to or avoid planting soybeans because the deer devour them before they can get going. Don’t have pictures handy, but I’ll be set up this weekend on trails leading to standing beans up at the farm. Yes, I know acorns acorns acorns, but deer are piling into our fields and wearing out the beans. This is with about 2 acres of beans. I use the Milorganite to keep deer out long enough for the beans to get established and able to keep up with browsing pressure. Last year we had pods into the first weekend of rifle season, even with the drought hampering the beans. Obviously, the success of this approach depends on deer density, other available food, etc. Maybe generic beans plus an electric fence would be cheaper in the long run, but wanted to throw these observations out there for consideration. (I’ll be expecting my check from Eagle Seed and Milorganite soon)

I did a similar experiment with the milorganite in a stand of Sunn hemp but I’m sure photobucket no longer allows my old pics to show. I tried it after reading about milorganite on the QDMA website. I’m now a firm believer.

I'm pretty sure I remember that. Seems that hemp was a little darker green than the rest too (may not recall that correctly).

It may have been. Milorganite is marketed as a slow release fertilizer, but it could also have been that the plants were actually allowed to grow instead of being constantly grazed. I can’t be sure. I just know that it obviously repels deer as reported.

Proof's in the puddin'.

How long before we see a ground blind tucked into those pine saplings back there?

I think I'll continue to simply shoot them off my back porch.

Where do you get your milorganite ?

Lowes or Home Depot, although not all locations carry it. The link below might help. Should be around $13.

Milorganite Store Locator

I've used it the past two years and it worked great. Just don't get that stuff in your knee boots and forget to shake them out for a couple days...it will part your hair!

Thanks

I grew a nice garden this summer (peas, tomatoes, corn, watermelons) in a deer food plot. I applied a little Milorganite around the perimeter of the garden and up and down the rows every 2 or 3 weeks... never saw a track in it all summer. Had 4 rows of pink-eye purple hull peas, thigh high and not a single nip.

Whereas, 150 yards away, I had a small field of Iron-Clay peas that was totally demolished by deer. A month after my last application in the garden, I finally saw sign of deer nibbling at the drying pea plants.

I bought it from the Farmer's co-op... Milorganite is the real deal. I'm a believer!

Awesome. Glad it worked for you

I worked part time for a couple of years for Pennington Seed and they sold a bunch of the stuff. Sure wasn't much fun unloading it if a few bags are busted and the truck has sat in the sun all day.

If you use it the first few weeks, will the deer ever come eat the soybeans or do they stay away forever?

They stay away forever…..I spread some 8 years ago and the deer population hasn’t been the same since.

Be sure to wear boots, but not for the Milorganite.

I wish I knew where you could get Miloganite in bulk ? I've had so much success with it that I don't mention it to everybody because I fully expect to see it in a camouflage sack for 3 times the current price any day now !

Ok. Poor choice of words. Sorry. I meant do they stay away just a few weeks? Or the entire life of the plants?

I’m sure it varies, but the deer will be back in the beans within 3 or 4 weeks of the last application of Milorganite based on my experience. I typically apply it just long enough for the beans to get established and keep up with browsing.

In Wisconsin we called Milorganite negroe chit. It’s sewage pellets I was told. I imagine that’ll keep most any critter away.