Cotton field deer?

[Byron Quick]

There's a cotton field I pass in the late evenings and early mornings on my way to and from work. I drive 50 something miles to work and it's rural all the way. I drive through two hunting preserve plantations on the way. I see a lot of deer, turkeys, and hogs.

I've seen more deer in other places but this one cotton field has more deer in it consistently than any other area along my route. I've stopped and watched them through binoculars often. Saw a huge buck one day just lying about two hundred yards out in the field.

I've thought about trying to get permission to hunt there but I've got one question: Those deer are feeding on the cotton plants. Cotton plants get sprayed with a bunch of different pesticides. Would this be a concern?

 

[North Texan]

Only if your a bug. Most cotton sees a pass or two with herbicide and about the same with insecticide, like Malathion. The rates at which Malathion are put out on cotton are less toxic than a cup of coffee. It has a strong smell, which leads people to think it is very toxic, but it isn't.

 

[Matt G]

Byron, check with your local agricultural extension office (USDA), and ask. They'll know what's being sprayed locally, and what the ramifications are. Might be nothing, or it might just be something like aflatoxin from deer corn, which builds up in the liver, and means no deer liver in areas where people put out feeders.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I actually witnessed a Whitetail doe in Georgia pick a cotton ball off the plant and eat the darn thing.

Lot of cotton fields down in the Valdosta area and we seen deer walk thru them quite a bit.

 

[North Texan]

What they are after more than likely is the cotton seed, which is very high in protein. And since deer are ruminants, they can eat it without suffering the harsh effects of gossypol.

 

[Byron Quick]

Drove by the field tonight on the way to work. I didn't have time to stop and look it over well. Three doe were apparent about two hundred yards into the field. Think I'll mosey over to the courthouse and find out who owns that property. It's been about five years since I've seen stands up in the corners.

 

[AStone]

Malathion, Malaoxon & Isomalathion

"Malathion breaks down into Malaoxon, which is 60 times more toxic than Malathion. For this reason, if Malathion is used or somehow enters an indoor environment, as it breaks down into Malaoxon, it can seriously and chronically poison the occupants living or working in this environmnent.

In 1976, numerous malaria workers in Pakistan were poisoned by isomalathion, a common impurity in malathion, which is capable of inhibiting carboxyesterase enzymes in those exposed to it; the original toxicity evaluation for malathion had not anticipated isomalathion coexposure."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malathion

 

[AStone]

cotton

I grew up next door - literally - to a cotton gin in TN, circa '50's.

In late summer, it would hum until past 10 PM trying to mill all that cotton.

I watched my dad, the fire chief, fight two fires in it.

While most cotton was brought in wagons pulled by tractors,
some were drawn by horse.

As a kid, I hunted in the fields that grew that cotton
(along with soybeans & corn)
that was sprayed with stuff worse than what's allowed now.

We shot and ate rabbits, squirrels (from the windbreak woods),
dove & quail.

I'm still kicking 40 yrs later, so either I got lucky,
or our immune systems are more 'intelligent' & more squirrely than we thought.

Nem