Many, perhaps most, Arkansans enjoy purple hull peas on their dinner table. Deer love the peas as well.
Planting in food plots is nothing new and is recommended by wildlife biologists of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission – but as one of a variety of plantings suggested to augment native foods for the goal of attracting wildlife by giving a boost to nutrition.
“Purple hulls” as most Arkansans call them are a type of black-eyed pea which in turn is a type of a broad category of plants called cowpeas. Some other varieties are iron clay peas, crowder peas, lady peas and southern peas. Originally from Africa, cowpeas have been grown in America since colonial days.
“Many landowners rely on the old standby of white clover, which can survive until late June and even later depending on weather,” said Ralph Meeker, assistant deer program coordinator for…
