Should you feed deer in the winter?

It is important to resist the urge to feed deer in the winter. Providing supplemental food for deer is not in their best interest, as their activity, movement, and feeding naturally decrease in the winter. Deer utilize their body fat and browse on natural available vegetation.

Why you shouldn't feed deer in winter?

Decreased nutrition for deer during winter. Deer are ruminants similar to cows and have a multi-chambered stomach with a complicated digestive process. If the type of food the deer consume is suddenly changed through feeding by humans, it can take considerable time for the digestive process to adapt to the new food.

Should you feed deer in your yard?

Supplemental Feeding Can Harm Deer

spread disease among deer. cause aggression, wasting vital energy reserves and leading to injury or death. reduce fat reserves as deer use energy traveling to and from the feed site. result in over-browsing of local vegetation and ornamental plants.

Is it OK to feed deer corn in the winter?

Although corn has poor protein, it has high carbohydrates. Whether it's planted in a food plot, or fed at a feeding site, corn can be a great benefit to whitetails during winter. Most deer managers are more than willing to plant their plots in the spring and summer.

What can I feed my backyard deer in the winter?

Deer eat woody browse in the winter. This can be leaves, berries, saplings, bulbs, or buds. In wintertime, they will take their pickings from the ground. They can also have some lush forage such as kale, radish, turnips, apples, or cabbage if it is available.

The Do's and Don'ts of Feeding Deer Over Winter

Is it OK to feed deer apples in the winter?

You should try to load up deer feeders with apples near the end of winter. They'll benefit more from easily digestible foods during the winter months. Deer naturally eat apples, and apples are perfectly safe for use in a deer feeder. Apples provide deer with a sweet treat that gives them a large nutritional boost.

How do you help deer in the winter?

The best option is to give them more of the winter foods they are already adapted to eating: winter browse. This includes buds and twigs of woody plants. Introducing new foods in the middle of winter, especially in high quantities all of a sudden, can actually be more harmful to deer than not feeding them at all.

Can you feed deer carrots in the winter?

Case in point, do deer eat carrots? Yes, they do. Winter is usually a harsh weather condition for most of us.

Are salt licks good for deer?

All hooved mammals love salt, so licks made only of salt do a fine job of attracting deer. Licks with added flavors, minerals and nutrients can be even better, especially if you find one the deer in your area really love.

Can deer eat bread in the winter?

FYI- Feeding deer bread. A small amounts of white bread cannot do any harm, but if a single deer were to eat anything more than a few slices of bread there is always the potential for life-threatening lacticacidosis.

What is the best thing to feed deer?

What should you not feed a wild deer?

Do not feed deer a corn diet. A deer's digestive system is complex, and corn happens to be one of the worst types of food for them. Unfortunately, many deer end up extremely sick or dead because animal lovers believe that corn is good for deer.

Should I put water out for deer?

It's not enough to just supply food. Deer need to consume water and food at about a 3-to-1 ratio. If they can't find enough water, they won't eat, and if they don't eat, the nutritional gap stunts growth and increases stress. A dependable water source could be the keystone to a successful supplement program.

Why should you not feed deer corn?

Eating a large amount of corn can affect the deer' digestive process and cause a flush of lactic acid in their stomach. In most severe cases, this leads to the dehydration and death of the deer. Improper supplemental feeding in deer can cause acidosis.

Should I feed deer corn?

Many articles, presentations, and campfire conversations about deer nutrition state emphatically that corn is not good for deer. In a general sense, this is true because corn is low in protein (9%), has a poor mineral profile, and can cause digestive upset and metabolic problems.

Should I feed deer year round?

Just like humans, whitetail deer need a well-rounded diet throughout the year. During different seasons, the nutritional requirements of bucks, does and fawns will vary slightly, but all three need water, protein, energy (fats and carbohydrates), calcium, phosphorus, sodium and fiber.

What is whitetail deer favorite food?

They love pecans, hickory nuts and beechnuts acorns in addition to acorns. A couple of favorite fruits are apples, blueberries, blackberries and persimmons. Deer occasionally enter yards to get their mouths on flowers, vegetables and ornamental trees -- quite often to the surprise of the homeowners.

Is cracked corn or whole corn better for deer?

You will be better off with cracked.

Is it legal to put out salt blocks for deer?

Again, it is illegal to use salt/mineral blocks to attract deer for the purpose of hunting. Even after this product has dissolved into the soil, that location is still considered “baited,” as deer will still be attracted to that area to consume the product that has leeched into the soil.

What is a deer's favorite vegetable?

When food is scarce, deer eat just about anything, including prickly-stemmed okra and hot peppers. Vegetables that deer seem to prefer include beans, lettuce, cabbage, and cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

What is the cheapest thing to feed deer?

An inexpensive way to feed deer is with corn. Deer love corn and many hunters rely on it for supplemental feeding. That being said, corn is not an excellent source of protein, which is essential for antler growth and the nursing of fawns.

Can you feed deer oats in winter?

As a winter supplement, cracked corn, oats, or barley are an improvement over veggies and fruit, but single diets of grains are not optimal. They may contain adequate amounts of carbs and most proteins, but lack fiber and some minerals.

Can you feed deer alfalfa in winter?

Bottom line is deer would have to be well into a starvation mode for any posssibility of alfalfa having a detrimental effect on the deer. More than likely there isn't a healthy deer in Michigan right now that would have any problem eating alfalfa.

How do deer not freeze in the winter?

The fur in a deer's winter coat is hollow, which allows air to be trapped. The trapped air makes it easier for the deer to retain its body heat, according to the National Wildlife Federation(Opens in a new window).

Where do deer sleep in the winter?

Winter and Warmth

When the temperature drops, deer often take shelter sleeping under coniferous trees like pine trees. The dense, low branches of these trees both protect the deer from wind and falling snow while creating a makeshift roof that holds in heat.