Feeding deer

[tony]

I've never done food plots or put up those fancy feeders.

GF lives in a small condo complex outside town. Behind her place is a few acres that's grown up. The ground is developed for condos never build. Few hundred yards from her place to the next street and houses are not close, but close enough to rule out hunting. There's a strip that runs from her place down the road to a large section of woods/forest. The deer run this strip as its wooded and grown up and protects them from people and dogs. Yet it is close enough to homes.

There are some bruisers running this stretch. The other night she caught a big body 4 point eating out of the bird feeder. This past summer there two nice bucks standing behind my truck one summer morning. I wanted to just get a bag of corn and put it out and give them something for the winter and see how they turn out.

Bad idea?
If not, do I just pour it on the ground ? I've found a sort of secluded spot in this section of property I could use.

 

[Mtns2hunt]

I would not feed deer corn unless you plan on putting it out on a continouse basis. Better to place a mineral rock with a camera nearby. If local laws allow. I do this after season just to get an idea which animals survive. No hunting around a food or mineral source.

 

[Rich M]

They’ll treat the corn like they do any natural food source. Here today gone tomorrow.

If the deer are eating out of the bird feeder, spread the corn around there, then you can watch em. The birds will like you for it too.

Just run a line of it as opposed to just dumping a pile. A 50# bag will give you 25-30 feet easy. Easier for more deer to feed cause the bucks will try to hog it.

 

[june-bug]

It will work great for you to be able to watch them and maybe get some photos. Amazing how fast they find it. As Rich said it has always worked better for me pouring it in a line or even just taking a cup and broadcasting all over the place. Deer love to graze while they eat. Oh and as I mentioned how it's amazing how fast they find it, it's also amazing how fast they consume it! They will tear it up!

 

[EdP]

I have read that deer digestive tracts change in winter to process winter browse and they are then unable to digest corn. They eat the corn but can't digest it so it fills their stomach and prevents usable food from occupying the same space. Ultimately it results in starvation. I am no biologist so I don't know how or where it applies, but that is what I have read.

 

[WCB]

I have read that deer digestive tracts change in winter to process winter browse and they are then unable to digest corn. They eat the corn but can't digest it so it fills their stomach and prevents usable food from occupying the same space. Ultimately it results in starvation. I am no biologist so I don't know how or where it applies, but that is what I have read.

Kind of true if that is all they are eating. Happened in ND around 2008ish? Horrible winter and farmers just started dumping piles of corn and hay out for the deer. The deer had nothing to eat then BAM piles of corn and hay out. They died with full bellies as they couldn't adjust to eating it.

In the situation the OP is pointing out just normal place no extreme stress and putting some corn out no the deer will not die because of it. They have browse and other food to eat...normally deer don't just fill up on a corn pile. They will eat a bit walk around browse...come back eat some more then walk off browse bed down etc. Just like if it were a standing corn field.

 

[rugerhoyt]

We feed a bunch here. 3 food plots and supplement after season. They will hit the feeder, but we take 3 times more pictures at our water sources than we do the feeders. I would also agree that they will pound a bag of corn, but that ain’t going to do anything for them unless you are gonna feed all winter. The food they can find, mineral a better choice IMO.

 

[Rich M]

I have read that deer digestive tracts change in winter to process winter browse and they are then unable to digest corn. They eat the corn but can't digest it so it fills their stomach and prevents usable food from occupying the same space. Ultimately it results in starvation. I am no biologist so I don't know how or where it applies, but that is what I have read.

Worst thing is they might get a lil indigestion. If we have a real winter, weeks and months of browse, might be a problem. Otherwise, they eat so many diff things, should be fine. Very hardy critters.

I know folks who feed 20-30 of them at a time in deep snow and corn iscwhat the deer choose. They also shoot any coyotes dumb enough to show up. Coyotes and foxes will also eat the corn. Go figure.

 

[MTtrout]

Not sure what states you all are in but I personally would discourage feed deer in the winter or any months for that matter. They know how to survive and bad winters have always happen. More harm than good. Kinda like giving bread crumbs to the ducks on the local town pond

 

[Rich M]

Last Yr Wyoming had a heavy winter kill, biologists don't really care but most sportsmen and bunny-huggers would have gladly "done something" to help save the deer and antelope.

 

[dbender]

You're really just attracting them, a little supplement won't hurt anything. Spread it around so they have to work for it.

 

[Gmatlock13]

I second the mineral block unless you are going to be consistent with the corn.

 

[MTtrout]

Last Yr Wyoming had a heavy winter kill, biologists don't really care but most sportsmen and bunny-huggers would have gladly "done something" to help save the deer and antelope.

Last year was a big snowpack that lasted a long time. Curious though if your thoughts are based on your own desires, bunny-huggers… What do you think the biologists as you say “don’t really care” are supposed to do? Put out feeders for every animal when things get tough?

I don’t get it. Animals die

 

[Rich M]

Last year was a big snowpack that lasted a long time. Curious though if your thoughts are based on your own desires, bunny-huggers… What do you think the biologists as you say “don’t really care” are supposed to do? Put out feeders for every animal when things get tough?

I don’t get it. Animals die

You're from MT i guess. Different kind of habitat than the east.
They feed the elk in areas - why do that?
Some places have watering stations - why do that?

It is diff from the northern portions of the eastern half of the country - people have done lots to try and help deer in deer herds for as long as I can remember. Snow machine trails for critters to walk in, dropping trees for browse, saving acorns/apples and bringing them out, alfalfa hay. I come from the land before corn was so readily available. I'm sure folks would have fed corn back then if they had it available.

6-12 inches of snow isn't much to a deer. 2-3-4 ft makes life difficult for them.

Where I came from, the north country hasn't had a lot of snow in years. But they have a booming coyote population right now.

Historically, people used to do stuff. They didn't like sitting around.

 

[MattB]

Feeding deer may be illegal and may actually not be good for the deer.

 

[tony]

I’ll try the mineral block.
Anything to look for?
Just set it on the ground?

 

[Tjman]

Kind of true if that is all they are eating. Happened in ND around 2008ish? Horrible winter and farmers just started dumping piles of corn and hay out for the deer. The deer had nothing to eat then BAM piles of corn and hay out. They died with full bellies as they couldn't adjust to eating it.

In the situation the OP is pointing out just normal place no extreme stress and putting some corn out no the deer will not die because of it. They have browse and other food to eat...normally deer don't just fill up on a corn pile. They will eat a bit walk around browse...come back eat some more then walk off browse bed down etc. Just like if it were a standing corn field.

I was going to say...if that was the case we would have a lot of dead deer here in Tejas.

 

[SloppyJ]

Pvc tube strapped to a tree with a big 90 elbow on the bottom. Fill with feed of your choice and strap to a tree. Put a cap on top too. I wouldn't start feeding yet or you'll go broke. I nor ally wait until about 2mo before season. It's not a cheap venture with cell cams and feed costs.

 

[Yoder]

With all of the cwd, I wouldn't feed them or use a mineral block.

 

[Bert01]

It sounds like a lot of the people saying Don't feed them corn have never done it and are repeating what they've heard or forming opinions based on no actual experience, the people saying its fine seem to be the ones that have done it. Seems like I see that a lot on the Interwebs regardless of topic.

As for me I say go for it, here in the south we feed corn sporadically all the time. I've seen guys dump 100's of pounds a week, for a month then just stop when they ran out of time or $. On the opposite end we've done expensive food plots, year round, spring only and fall attractant. Every grandma that wants deer and squirrels in her yard puts a bag of corn out every now and then. My opinion is the food plots are better for the overall health of the herd, but it sure isn't going to hurt anything to feed a couple deer a few bags of corn.