What can you feed wild deer?

A wide variety of fruits and vegetables – including apples, grapes, cherries, pears, carrots, and snap peas – are eaten in nature by deer. Therefore, it is safe to feed deer these fruits. Acorns are another safe food source.

What is the best feed for wild deer?

Is it OK to feed deer?

If you feed deer in your backyard or at a park, you could be harming them instead of helping them. Bringing deer together at feeding sites increases their risk of contracting communicable diseases, such as chronic wasting disease, from other deer.

What can I feed wild deer in the winter?

Other good choices for winter forage are brassicas (greens and root bulbs) and sugar beets (greens and root bulbs). Both of these food types are favorites of deer because they are palatable and provide the nutrients necessary to help deer thrive during the winter and are particularly high in protein content.

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.

How, Why and What I Feed the Wild Deer that Live on our Homestead

Do wild deer eat apples?

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.

What else can you feed deer besides 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.).

Is it OK to feed deer corn?

Using only corn or other fermentable carbohydrates as a primary deer food can be dangerous. 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.

Can deer eat bread?

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.

Do Deers eat lettuce?

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.

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.

Will deer eat peanut butter?

Deer love peanut butter, so it is an excellent bait. You can use peanut butter alone or in a mixture to lure deer into an area for hunting or just to enjoy watching them.

How do you make homemade deer feed?

Mix equal parts corn and whole oats.

Cracked corn, whole kernels, or ground corn all work well for deer treats. Mix an equal amount of your corn with your whole oats. Amounts will vary depending on how much deer food you want to make.

Will deer eat oats?

As previously mentioned, oats are highly favored by deer and they consistently rank among the top species consumed by deer in forage preference trials. Oats are highly nutritious as well. In well-managed food plots with a neutral soil pH and good fertility, oats can contain more than 25% crude protein.

Can deer eat celery and carrots?

Do deer eat celery? Yes, they do. Deer will eat your celery plants to the ground if you let them. Therefore, you need to invest in the right deer deterrent methods to keep them out.

Can deer eat potatoes?

Do deer eat potatoes? Yes, they do, especially the sweet potato variety. They will also eat other potatoes, including toxic potato leaves if hungry enough. Potatoes are equally used in certain areas to feed deer, so they are not deer deterrents.

What fruit can deer eat?

As for fruits, they enjoy pears, apples, plums, and strawberries. Additionally, forbs make up a large part of a wild deer's diet. Forbs are flowering plants that do not belong to the grass, sedge or rush family. For example, deer enjoy eating forbs such as ragweed, pokeweed, wild lettuce, and verbena.

Do deer bed down in the same place every night?

The quick answer is, “anywhere they want.” Deer sleep anywhere they bed and may do so singly or in groups. However, during daylight it's far more common for deer to sleep in heavy cover where they feel secure.

Will deer eat pasta?

Apparently, they also love crunching dry pasta like chips. Watch deer crunch on some dry spachetti (fettuchini) with sound. Make sure it contains no eggs though, deer hate them.

Do deer eat hard boiled eggs?

Yes, they do, although their egg-eating habits aren't by default. Most Deer will eat eggs or other meat protein during the harsh winter months or when unable to find anything else. These immensely versatile creatures can eat just about everything on their part.

Can deer eat popcorn kernels?

Deer can be quite picky when it comes to selecting their meals, but deer do enjoy popcorn and popcorn kernels. In fact, many hunters and nature enthusiasts use popcorn and popcorn kernels as an integral part of deer bait as it helps attract them to the area when combined with many of their other favorite foods.

Will deer come to sweet feed?

Yes, it works well. It's grain with molasses on it. Of course they like it. I think you'll find that most people don't use it because it cost so much more than just a bag of whole corn, and corn works as well as anything.

Can deer eat rice?

Do Deer eat rice? Yes, they do, but it depends on the season, available food and how you present the rice bran. However, rice bran can deteriorate relatively fast in many environments, as they tend to mold if wet. Therefore, if you want to use them in the raw form, do that during deer hunting.

Can I feed wild deer carrots?

Carrots have proved to be among one of the best vegetables to feed these deer with. They contain vital nutrients such as beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, Potassium, and antioxidants.

Should I cut up apples for deer?

Items you will need

Use more apples once you begin to see deer at the feeding spot. Cut the slices of apples into smaller pieces and place into a bowl.