Turnips are members of the Brassica plant family, which also includes kale and cabbage. They are widely planted in food plots to provide forage for wildlife. Deer consume both the leafy green tops and the swollen root, or bulb, but consumption habits are highly variable. Whether deer heavily use a turnip plot depends on local factors, such as the availability of other natural food sources and the plant’s maturity. Turnips provide a valuable, high-biomass food source, especially when colder weather arrives and other vegetation becomes scarce.
Palatability and Preferred Plant Parts
Deer consumption of the turnip plant is typically hierarchical, meaning they prefer one part over the other. The initial preference is usually for the large, leafy tops, which offer high moisture content and are easily browsed. These greens are often consumed first, sometimes leaving the bulb untouched in the soil.
The plant’s initial taste can sometimes deter deer. Young brassica leaves contain sulfur compounds that give them a slightly bitter flavor. This bitterness often leads to delayed consumption, where deer may ignore a newly established plot for several weeks. As the plant matures and deer acclimate to the novel food source, browsing pressure on the greens generally begins to increase.
Later in the season, deer shift their attention to the bulb, which is the plant’s storage organ. To access the bulb, deer must pull it out of the ground or chew the exposed top, often leaving distinct crater-like depressions in the soil. Varieties like Purple Top turnips, which grow a portion of their bulb above the soil line, may be more readily accessed than varieties that remain fully underground.
Seasonal Consumption Patterns
The intensity of turnip consumption is strongly linked to the progression of the season, particularly the onset of freezing temperatures. Many land managers observe that deer only begin to heavily utilize the turnip plot after a hard frost. This phenomenon is often attributed to the belief that cold temperatures convert complex starches within the bulb into simple, palatable sugars.
This biochemical change is thought to increase the sweetness and attractiveness of the turnip bulb, making it a late-season carbohydrate source. However, some scientific studies suggest that the actual change in sugar content after a frost may be less significant than believed. These studies propose that increased late-season browsing may instead be a response to a lack of alternative forage.
As other natural food sources, such as acorns and native browse, are depleted or become dormant, the turnip plot stands out as one of the few remaining green and energy-rich options. Turnips function as a reliable late-season food plot, drawing deer in heavily from late fall through the winter. This consumption pattern is a function of the plant’s biological response to cold and its availability when other food is scarce.
Nutritional Value for Deer
Turnips offer a dual nutritional benefit, providing both high-protein forage and a dense energy source. The leafy tops are highly digestible and contain a substantial amount of crude protein, often ranging between 15 and 22 percent. This protein content is important for muscle maintenance, body growth, and antler development in bucks during the early fall.
The bulb serves primarily as a concentrated source of energy due to its high carbohydrate content. These carbohydrates provide the necessary calories to build fat reserves and generate heat to survive cold weather. This energy is a major factor in the bulb’s importance as a winter survival food.
The turnip plant also has a relatively high water content, which aids in the digestion of other dry winter forages. The moisture provided by the leaves and bulbs contributes to a deer’s hydration levels, especially when external water sources may be frozen. The combination of protein, energy, and moisture makes the turnip plant a valuable component of a deer’s diet as seasons transition into winter.