# CROPS/WATER



## WATERLOO (Oct 9, 2003)

Another non-res. asking a question.
How has the lack of rain effected the crops, and what do you guys see as the predominant crop this year. I'm no farmer, and a NR so I find it interseting every year to see the different things planted. Is this simply due to necassary rotation?
I don't want to know where anyone's hunting--don't care.
I could easily visit your state with just a camera.
Thanks for allowing me the visits.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Nothing is going to change what they plant out here. You got your soybeans and corn guys. Your wheat/barley, corn and soybeans guys. Sugar beet guys. And canola guys.


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## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

2 years ago it was a mix of corn/beans (more beans really). Last year i couldn't believe how heavy the change to corn was. When i got there 80% of the area still had corn up and they had it almost all down before i left.

I am also curious what awaits us this year when i show up. Here locally usually all the fields rotate between beans/corn/wheat on like a 3-4 year cycle. On past 2 years of trips i've noticed the same field being planted 2 years in a row with beans, is this common practice?


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Yeah the beans/beans or corn/corn is a common practice now that ethanol pushed the corn prices up. I know alot of people just put in all corn because they can make a good living off of the governement programs and subsidies. :eyeroll:

I know one farmer in Jamestown that had 10,000 acres of corn last year and combined it with 2 combines. A 9610 and 9760. I guess this year he has more corn and is still going to use the same two combines.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

When we first started coming out to ND in the 90's, we found very little corn being grown. So back then we focused on barley and peas, which were picked pretty early. As Shiawassee Kid said, it was completely the opposite last fall...mostly corn. And the corn is harvested late, so that makes it more difficult on us early season hunters. But once they start picking it...look out, because you field hunters can have a slaughter.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Depends where you're at in the state, some areas are faring the best they've ever seen. Some farmers were taking 50 acre wheat in the good spots and an average of 20-25 in the other spots. You could drive 40 miles in either direction and find areas that look drought stricten with neck high corn. Some areas recieved critical rain at the perfect times even though, across the board, the rain has been scarce


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Like Sapper said, it depends on where you are.

I noticed an area by Cuba to Fingal ND, which has always primarily been small grains is literally all corn/beans. So some areas it's really drastic, others not so much.

But overall, a bigger increase in beans and corn.

Is it just me or did the pea harvest decline this year? Only seen 1 or 2 fields in a lot of scouting thus far.


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

Chris Hustad said:


> Like Sapper said, it depends on where you are.
> 
> I noticed an area by Cuba to Fingal ND, which has always primarily been small grains is literally all corn/beans. So some areas it's really drastic, others not so much.
> 
> ...


Still seeing pea fields this way but with water down I want to see how corn farmers end up out this way. Alot of the corn is so-so at best.


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## just ducky (Apr 27, 2005)

I guess if there is an up side to the dry conditions...that is if it stays dry...it may let the farmers get the corn off earlier this year, making for better early field hunting. Would also help the pheasant hunting.


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

just ducky said:


> I guess if there is an up side to the dry conditions...that is if it stays dry...it may let the farmers get the corn off earlier this year, making for better early field hunting. Would also help the pheasant hunting.


True, the crops should be down a bit earlier this fall, not everywhere but in alot of places it will be ready come October sometime.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Yeah... dry is not always good for the corn... there is a lot of corn that looked good a month ago... that never matured... not sure what that is going to mean in the fall...

The topic of crops really is not going to be as big of a factor as pressure will be this year. With limited roosting opportunities I think that concentrations of birds will be much more sensative and be forced out of areas much quicker than they have in the past... but the opposite could also be said in that if birds are given ample opportunities to roost and rest unmolested... with the amount of "productive land" that has been brought back in from CRP going out... that we may see larger concentrations in these areas regardless of the type of forage (corn, peas, wheat, barley).

But as much as we want to believe that feed will be a factor... roosting (access to water unmolested..refuges?) will be a major migration factor this year.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Only have seen one pea field, and I hunted it :lol: With the corn not maturing til later, corn wont be off til late late October to mid to early November in most areas.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

Ive also heard corn will be coming off later this year.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Lot of beans north of South Dakota and South of Canada.


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## water_swater (Sep 19, 2006)

Rarely touching 70 had the corn less than knee high on July 1, lots of worries if the crop will even finish maturing. Wet ,cold conditions have stalled the harvest here, lots of wheat still standing, pinto beans have not been touched yet. Those as well as soybeans have to come off before a wheel turns in a corn field. It also hasn't been wet enough fill up any sloughs but yet still too wet to cultivate, lots of stubble left, where last year all the wheat was down and most fields that were going to be cultivated, were at this time.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

water_swater said:


> Rarely touching 70 had the corn less than knee high on July 1, lots of worries if the crop will even finish maturing. Wet ,cold conditions have stalled the harvest here, lots of wheat still standing, pinto beans have not been touched yet. Those as well as soybeans have to come off before a wheel turns in a corn field. It also hasn't been wet enough fill up any sloughs but yet still too wet to cultivate, lots of stubble left, where last year all the wheat was down and most fields that were going to be cultivated, were at this time.


The majority of corn where your at wont water_swater. Their still 100 GDD's short of making it, and theres not a snowballs chance in h*ll theyll get it. Alot of its going to get rolled and disked or burned.

In the northern tier of the state id say small grain acreage is up a little over last year, everybody hoping for prices like last go around. In some parts of the state corn acreage is up, in others soybeans, in others canola. It really depends on where your going. But the definite statewide trend is corn/soybean acreage increasing.
And no matter where you go, youll most likely find a good variety of crops.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

You are not going to see many fields being turned over with so much no-till farming going on. That should help a guy when trying to hide the blinds a bit.


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## niener (Jan 7, 2008)

In the area we hunt there is very little corn planted. It seems to mostly be wheat/peas/canola/barley. The corn I've seen there in the past always looked marginal at best, but I'm from Iowa, where there are different soil types and growing seasons compared to ND. We've had our best feild hunts over the years in hail damaged barley and pea fields.


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## jmillercustoms (Dec 11, 2007)

blhunter3 said:


> Lot of beans north of South Dakota and South of Canada.


..lots of beans IN south dakota too, I cannot believe how much beans and corn there is this year, i know we're gonna plant more beans next year we keep getting these later rains what sucks though is all my familys land is an hour or so west of SF and not many ponds around it to hold ducks, the occasional teal or mallard but thats it, so i am stuck to beggin for permission :eyeroll:


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