What Is The Best Thing To Feed Wild Deer?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Generally, it is recommended to feed deer cereal grains like oats instead of corn. They lack the high starch content that makes corn so tricky for a deer’s stomach to process and can easily fill your troughs or other deer feeders, in addition to manufactured deer food.

What can I feed wild deer in the winter?

Most brassicas are relished for the succulent, high protein, green forage they produce. BioLogic’s Winter Bulbs and Sugar Beets or Maximum are good choices for most late-season food plots and will provide forage that will improve the health of winter deer herds, particularly in times of stress.

What can I feed the deer in my yard?

Late Summer / Early Fall — Provide acorns, corn and soybeans . These are among deer’s favorite foods. Fall and Winter — Cereal grains including oats, triticale, and wheat. Cool season legumes such as clovers, alfalfa and winter peas attract deer and provide nutrition.

Is it OK to feed wild deer?

Supplemental feeding of wild deer can improve survival and increase the population, but careless feeding can kill deer, transmit disease, or create management problems. Do not use corn or other fermentable carbohydrates as a primary emergency deer food. Deer are routinely killed this way by people trying to help.

What do deer like to eat the most?

Food they absolutely love are: pecans, hickory nuts, beechnut acorns , as well as acorns. Fruits such as apples, blueberries, blackberries, and persimmons are also appealing to deer and satisfy their appetites.

What is the cheapest thing to feed deer?

Making Your Own Inexpensive Deer Feed

Oats, corn, nuts, and dried fruits are a great combination. You can buy most of these items in bulk in supermarkets and online which will help reduce costs. Mix them up and bring them to the stockpile or the feeder.

Is bird seed bad for deer?

Unfortunately, deer eat bird seeds even if they are not the first or second food choices. They can quickly empty a bird feeder, which will cost you extra funds to purchase more seeds to feed the birds around you. Deer can also cause damage your feeders as they rip or knock them down while trying to gain access.

Will deer eat Quaker Oats?

If formulated deer food mixtures are unavailable, oats are the next best supplemental food for deer. Oats provide deer with a healthy mixture of fiber and carbohydrates without disrupting their digestive system. ... Therefore, it is safe to feed deer these fruits . Acorns are another safe food source.

What can you feed deer instead of corn?

Some good fall food sources include hard mast (e.g., oak acorns , beech nuts, chestnuts, hickory nuts, etc.), soft mast (e.g., apples, pears, persimmons, etc.), and agricultural crops (corn, soybeans, brassicas, cereal grains, etc.).

What attracts deer the most?

Plants that typically attract deer include red clover, chicory, and orchard grass . Certain high-protein crops, such as peas, soybeans, turnips, alfalfa, sorghum, kale, or corn, are also attractants that the animals enjoy feeding on. Deer like the nutritious nuts that come from chestnuts and acorns as well.

Is it bad to feed deer corn?

Corn is high in starch and a good source of digestible energy, but can cause problems in a deer’s digestive system . When deer eat too much corn or other high-‐carbohydrate food, many complex changes occur in the rumen. ... A short-‐term consequence of eating too much corn is that the deer feel sick.

Are salt licks good for deer?

Salt Lick For Deer: Why Do Deer Like Salt? ... They contain essential mineral nutrients of salt deposits and trace minerals such as phosphorus, iron, zinc, and calcium. Mineral licks can be commonly found in nature. Animals regularly visit those sites where natural salt licks are abundant to supplement their diet.

Do deer eat carrots?

Carrots have proved to be among one of the best vegetables to feed these deer with. ... Carrots are root vegetables and can be found in a number of colours such as orange, purple, red and yellow. Once in a carrot garden, deer will dig up the carrots and eat them .

What should you not feed deer?

Do not feed hay, corn, kitchen scraps, potatoes, lettuce trimmings or any animal proteins from animals rendered into feed. Deer may actually starve when fed supplemental foods during winter if they have a full belly of indigestible foods.

Do deer like apples or corn better?

Apples attract deer , in which are going to pull the bucks. As for bucks like them only. NO way, they all like them, but I wouldnt say they like them more than corn. If you put corn and apples together in a bait pile, the apples will be eaten by deer first, then the corn.

How many hours a day do deer eat?

Low fiber foods digest quickly and deer may feed every four hours . During late fall, deer typically feed on higher fiber plants like tips of trees and nuts. High fiber foods take longer to digest, so in this case deer will typically need to feed every seven hours.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.