Some of the top October food sources for deer around the country include Acorns, Corn, and Greenbriar/vegetation. Acorns are perhaps the most classic of all deer food.
What do deer eat in the wild?
If you’re going to start feeding wild deer, it’s important to try and replicate their normal diet. One of the safest ways to do this is by planting and maintaining trees and plants that attract deer. Deer eat a lot of “woody browse”, which includes twigs from oak and elm trees, buds, and leaves.
Should you feed deer during the winter?
You can be successful at feeding deer during the winter by using the right type of feed and at the right amount. Let’s briefly return to the deer’s gut again. If a sudden switch of food sources is bad, how do they naturally switch from a food source like acorns to corn, then back from corn to woody browse…without problems?
Can you feed deer corn?
For example, it’s a common misconception that you can feed corn to deer. While deer can be found munching on leftovers in cornfields, it’s not a major source of nutrition for them, and some don’t eat it regularly. Corn is a fermentable carbohydrate that is low in protein. If it’s introduced too quickly into a deer’s diet, it could result in death.
When should you stop feeding deer in the spring?
Whenever you feed the deer, make sure you distribute food in multiple locations so that they won’t have to compete for it. Don’t end a feeding program too soon. When you start feeding deer, don’t stop until plants and trees start blooming again in the spring.
What do deer eat in October?
acornsIn addition to crops and acorns, look for beechnuts, apples, persimmons and other mast crops deer might seek.
How do you attract bucks in October?
In October, I think using Muddy trail cameras to pattern the bedding and feeding pattern of a buck is critical. The lowest risk option is to get a good fall food source such as brassicas or clover close to the bedding area of a target buck.
What can I feed my backyard deer in the wild?
Oats provide deer with a healthy mixture of fiber and carbohydrates without disrupting their digestive system.A wide variety of fruits and vegetables – including apples, grapes, cherries, pears, carrots, and snap peas – are eaten in nature by deer. ... Acorns are another safe food source.
What is the best thing to feed deer this time of year?
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.
Where are big bucks in October?
New Bedding Areas It's common for bucks to switch bedding areas, too, during the October transition. Many times, they're moving into thicker or more secluded cover where they feel safe. Sometimes, ground cover and foliage can change enough that where they bedded all summer just isn't good enough for this time of year.
Why do deer disappear in October?
As deer patterns change, hunters need to respond. Play it Safe? Buck movement in mid-October will often shift towards cover, with less daylight activity in open areas. This is mostly due to more human pressure and less leaf cover.
What is a deer's 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.
What do you feed deer in the fall?
Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass.
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.
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.
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.
Is it OK for deer to eat bird seed?
Deer that die with full stomachs are regularly hauled away from neighborhoods throughout Bend, killed by well-intentioned people who think they are helping by putting out food, including bird seed. “It's not a well-known thing that birdseed can kill the deer and that we shouldn't feed these animals,” Chase said.
What are bucks doing in October?
In mid-October deer are shifting their travel patterns to account for increased hunting pressure, changing food sources, and falling leaf cover. All of that typically sends deer, especially mature bucks, into areas that make them much less visible during daylight for the average hunter.
Where can you find deer in October?
On ridges and flats where you found the most acorns in late September and early October is where you'll find the first and most scrapes around the 20th. Expect good to great deer movement around the new moon on October 22 through the first quarter on the 29th, especially if it's cool to cold.
Should I rattle in late October?
Rattling in October draws bucks out of curiosity. Like us, they are ramping up for the rut and eager to check out the action as it unfolds. A light tickle of the tines can be just enough to draw a buck in close to your stand. Real bone still sounds as good as anything for rattling up a buck.
How do you rattle in late October?
Set up on pathways that lead from the bedding area, using the wind to your advantage and rattle the antlers periodically during late day hours. Some gentle ticking of the antlers together may be enough, but don't fear creating a racket by imitating an all-out brawl.
What to Feed Deer in Your Backyard
You can feed deer foods such as trimmings from trees, oats, ready-made deer food, acorns, and vegetables. These food sources are safe for deer to consume and enjoy. You should NOT feed deer corn and hay in the winter, human food, or meat products since their digestive systems cannot digest the food. Some of these products can even be fatal to deer.
What Do Deer Eat In The Wild?
Deer spend most of their days hunting for various types of plants for their herbivore diet. Their feeding habits change depending on the season, and on what they can find.
What Is the Best Thing to Feed Deer?
We’ve compiled a list of what deer like to eat when they’re out in the wild. But what can we offer when they come looking in our backyard? Deer are always on the lookout for some tasty treats to munch. So, if you want to know what to feed deer in your backyard, use any of the following
What Not to Feed Deer
High Carb Grains: Deer should not be given wheat, barley, or corn. The rich starch content in these meals might be fatal to deer since their stomach cannot digest and break down the starches. I know that there will be readers who question this.
What is Acidosis in Deer?
Deer are ruminants. They have a very specialized digestive tract which allows them to process the woody material they eat.
Should I feed the deer in my backyard?
Given that deer are, first and foremost, wild creatures, there will always be advantages and disadvantages to feeding them.
Tips For Feeding Deer in Your Backyard
To reduce deer/car collisions, place deer feeding sites at least a half-mile from plowed roads.
Is it Bad to Feed Wild Deer?
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question. It depends on how and what you’re feeding the deer and your geographic location.
What Should You Not Feed Deer?
Sadly, many wild deer are killed each year by well-intentioned humans. Many people assume that it’s fine to give deer any leftover scraps they have on hand.
What Can I Feed the Deer in My Backyard?
If you’re going to start feeding wild deer, it’s important to try and replicate their normal diet. One of the safest ways to do this is by planting and maintaining trees and plants that attract deer.
Final Words
The bottom line is if you’re serious about helping your deer visitors stay healthy, do it responsibly. Take special care not to interfere with the deer’s natural habits. And remember that once you start feeding them, they will depend on you to make it through the winter.
What to feed deer in spring?
Supplemental feeding, food plots and mineral supplements are all very beneficial to the deer herd in spring. Provide a high-protein (17-20 percent) feed in trough or gravity feeders (so as not to limit the deer's intake). I like to start my protein feeding program around May 1 and continue it throughout the summer.
What is the best food for deer in summer?
High-quality food is the name of the game in summer. Productive, high-protein food plots in peas, beans or lab-lab can provide up to 35 percent protein when properly fertilized and are also very palatable, so your deer are able to digest most of the protein and nutrients that they consume.
What is supplemental feed?
As the name suggests, supplemental feed will supplement new browse and spring food plots by providing additional minerals and fats that native browse and most food plot species lack. When planning food plots for the spring, it is beneficial to look backwards at fall and winter.
What do whitetail deer need?
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. The key for managers is to provide the deer with ...
What is the most brutal season for whitetail deer?
Summer in the South can be the most brutal season of the year for a whitetail deer herd. Drought conditions, temperatures in the triple digits, nursing fawns and parasites combine to make it difficult for a deer to survive, let alone grow.
What can you use to help a deer plot?
Snow and ice can impact your herd's access to food plots greatly, and in some cases you might be able to help out by using an all-purpose plow, rock rake, bucket, or even a snow plow to increase the accessibility of your food plots.
When is the best time to feed deer?
Supplemental feed in summer is also extremely important. If you have to pick one time of year to provide your deer with supplemental feed, summer is it. Be sure that your feeders are accessible by fawns, as they are the most critical deer in your herd to feed.
What trees are good for deer hunting?
When most hunters think “browse,” they focus on young trees, but there are more options. Japanese honeysuckle, dewberry, dogwood, blackberry cane, and Oregon grape are all examples of regional species that are highly favored by deer—and most of them can last well into the winter.
Do whitetails eat corn?
Corn is an obvious food source for farm country whitetails, but it’s far from being a no-brainer. Standing corn looks like an easy buffet, but in reality, chewing corn from a cob is kind of a chore for deer, and in most cases, they prefer the kernels on the ground.
Do whitetails like to be bedding?
Even better, they frequently grow on the brushy, south-facing slopes that whitetails prefer for bedding, especially during cold snaps. In the lower Midwest, honey locust pods, which deer often step over as they travel to farm fields, suddenly become a preferred food in December.
When is the best time to kill a deer?
Also, think about the weather and temperature. The first true cold front and temperature swing of October can be a prime time to kill a reclusive deer. There’s just something about it that gets deer on their feet. Be prepared to sit in the tree when you see these conditions on the horizon.
When do bucks leave their home range?
By now, most bucks have relocated to their fall range. And interestingly enough, most bucks are loyal to and won’t leave their home range by mid to late October — even if pressured and bumped by hunters.
What is the month of October?
October is a time for patience and strategy. (Shutterstock/Jim Cumming photo) Similar to September, the month of October is full of change in the deer hunting world. But as for that “October lull,” it’s a big pile of nonsense. Instead, it’s actually a misinterpretation of perceived deer behavior. When reality is much different.
Is deer behavior a misinterpretation?
Instead, it’s actually a misinterpretation of perceived deer behavior. When reality is much different. Food sources continue to change. Deer behavior and travel patterns change with it. Hunting pressure is becoming more of a factor. Bucks’ testosterone levels are rising. Deer are preparing for the rut. It’s a momentous — and crazy — time in the ...
Is there a lull in the deer woods?
It’s a momentous — and crazy — time in the deer woods. But one thing is for sure, there is no “lull.”. In fact, the science shows that deer activity (including daylight appearances) actually increases throughout the month of October. So, think of October as a slow progression. Here’s how you can take advantage of that and approach it on ...
