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So what does a deer eat? Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.
What does 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 can I feed my backyard deer in the wild?
A deer will rely on its fat reserves for most of their bodily functions and energy requirements, but they do still need to eat. Their diet consists mostly of woody browse this time of year, early successional species like blackberries and greenbriers, and saplings.
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. Many deer have starved to death with stomachs packed full of hay.
What fruit do deer like best?
Deer will readily consume apples, pears, plums, persimmons and mulberries. By planting a variety of trees, you can ensure at least one ripe food source throughout the season. Most fruit varieties are available in dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard sizes. Dwarf varieties mature around 8- to 10-feet tall and wide.
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.
Do deer eat bananas?
Deer will eat bananas, but it’s better to give them seeds, nuts, and other foods that they naturally eat. Bananas can provide deer with plenty of potassium and fiber, but they don’t offer the deer much more than that. Bananas are best used as an occasional treat for your local deer herd.
Is it OK to feed 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. It is certainly not wise to put out large amounts because you cannot control how much each deer might eat.
Do deer eat apples whole?
Any deer lucky or unlucky enough to come across whole apples will eat them. Since deer are not picky eaters, they generally munch on anything they find edible. A deer that eats too many apples can starve to death with a full stomach.
Will deer 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.
Is it OK to feed deer in my backyard?
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.
Do deer eat carrots and apples?
Technically speaking, yes, deer will eat fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples, and so on. Basically, these fruits and vegetables don’t have any real nutritional value for them. Sure, the deer love the taste, but it is not part of their normal balanced diet.
What food smells attract deer?
They include some creative scent combinations said to increase the chances you will attract deer. For example, some stores sell scented deer corn, such as orange-flavored corn. Products flavored with apples, such as corn, liquids and other attractants are known to draw deer, who love apple scent.
Will deer eat peanuts?
Deer and peanuts Shelled or not, deer can eat peanuts. Nuts are one of their most favorite food sources. So, deer will eat pecans, acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, and lots more. Peanut vines are an excellent source of protein for them too.
What is a deer’s favorite smell?
Doe urine in the liquid form is probably the most common attractant scent used by deer hunters. It is good for calming deer’s nerves and piquing their curiosity, since it simulates a new deer in the area. Since it is a common smell in the woods, it very seldom scares deer—bucks or does.
Do deer like tomatoes?
Deer love tomatoes, but other plants in your garden might also be at risk. Other favorites of the deer are the Swiss chard, strawberries, sweet corn, raspberries, and some varieties of beans.
What vegetables can I feed deer?
Fruits and Vegetables Deer Love If you grow beets, cabbage, apples, berries, beans or broccoli in your garden, deer will want to stay and feast. Deer also love lettuce, leafy greens, pears, spinach, turnip, cauliflower, carrot tops, kohlrabi, peas, strawberries, plums, sweet potatoes and sweetcorn.
