Deer Food

[DBHAWTHORNE]

I use sweet cob and mineral blocks. In the winter I set out a few bales of alfalfa. Just curious though, do you think its bad for the deer in the middle of winter with not alot of other food around to be eating 100% alfalfa bales? Do you think alfala/grass would be better or does it matter? I feed them 100% alfalfa and they seem fine.

White-tailed deer are primarily browsers (not grazers) and eat very little grass. When you see deer eating in grassy fields they are usually not eating the grass but rather broadleaf weeds (forbs). Grasses are generally low in crude protein and digestibility compared to what deer usually have in their diet.

While cow and deer are both ruminants deer aren't grazers because their digestive system works much faster than cows and would not allow them to benefit much from grasses. However, there are some grasses like ryegrass that are faster to digest and will be used by deer along with other small grains.

For hunting purposes it is highly unlikely that any deer will rely on your alfalfa heavily enough to cause any harm. In addition you are probably providing the alfalfa well before the dead of winter when it could have harmful effects. What is bad for the deer is when well intentioned  people try to suddenly feed them alfalfa or corn during the dead of winter after a big storm. By this time the deers digestive system has adjusted to eating low quality browse and most will usually survive these situations just fine without supplemental feeding. In fact, suddenly introduced supplemental feeding can literally result in the deer starving to death despite the fact that its eating high quality food.

Another bad thing would be if someone fed them heavily most of the year and then suddenly cut them off in the middle of winter.

If you feed the deer to no later than 15 December it will not cause issues.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Here are a copule links about deer & corn, interesting reading anyway:

http://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/feeding-corn-to-deer-could-be-death-sentence/14324.html

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/Timberwood_Park/topics/179314

There is some science in this but their conclusions are very flawed. It's "emergency" feeding of deer in a bad winter that results in the largest majority of deaths from feeding. In regards to the "spread" of disease...  it shows the researchers ignorance in the understanding of deer behavior. Deer are very social animals and are continually touching noses, sniffing butts etc. with other deer in their home range. If disease exists it's going to spread regardless of feeding.

The fact that I can continually watch bucks grow up over the years has proven to me that deaths resulting from feeding during hunting season has little impact.

[jackmaster]

thats some good info fellas, does anyone know anything about a plant called "seedums" i guess it grows kinda like ivy and is a ground cover, i have heard that people that have this stuff cant keep the deer out of it, but it is just hear say i dont even know if i spelled it right and i tried to look it up but cant find it, but i am not very computer savvy either

[Hunter Dug]

I think just plant a field of Danilions  I have about 4 or 5 deer a day in my yard all the eat is the heads of the dandilions for hours pick pick pick.

[jackmaster]

i have tons of dandelions and they dont touch them, i wish they would, hell with this dry weather it all i can get to grow in my yard 

[JimmyHoffa]

The deer in my yard seem to really like peanuts above all other treats I test on them.  They like apples, but lose interest in apples when I toss out a couple of handfuls of peanuts.  Probably not to cost effective if you are trying to use on a large scale.

[huntnnw]

You won't get a deer to eat enough corn and anything else to kill them. They will always eat natural browse as well. I have read that corn to deer is like people eating candy. No real nutritional value but won't kill you in moderation. If you kept a deer in a pen and all it could ever eat is corn that would he bad. Even at baits the deer eat plenty of natural browse and don't sat the bait exclusively. Or they would be there all the time.

  I have never seen or heard of a deer around here dying from eating to much corn..they dont just sit and eat it till its gone..most deer come in for 10 min max..sometimes its only for a bite and gone..sweet mix works the best right now, but as it gets colder alfalfa works good

[oldleclercrd]

I would have to say I agree with that.

[heavy hauler]

deer corn from cabelas 

[buck man]

Here is one for ya. I got 4000 pounds of pinto bean screenings. Took the deer about a week to start on it but the colder the weather the more they ate it. Fed it in conjunction with corn and alfalfa. Deer always ate the beans before the corn. The beans were free so it was even better.

Protein content is similar to soy beans.