Deer, when they are in their natural habitat, do not actually eat the commercial “deer feed” that most feed stores will sell you as bait or as a lure. So when deer are out in the wild and they are left to their own devices, what do they eat? Unlike some of the animals you find in the wild while hunting, deer are herbivorous creatures which means that they only eat plants. While there are plenty of different plants out there in the woods, not all of them are going to provide the right amount of nutrition for the deer. Just like humans and other animals, many deer do have food preferences and will eat their certain favorite foods whenever they can find them, though they will move on to other foods when their favorites or the most nutritious options cannot be found.
Deer like to eat wild grasses, especially when the shoots are both tender and young, but wild grasses tend to be a last resort food in that they can help the deer survive when other food is not available, but they are not good for much more than that. Here is a look at some of the favorite foods that deer may like.
Woody Shrubs and Plants: Deer can feed on the leaves and other anatomy of tree and shrubs, eating the leaves, the twigs and the buds from plants like these all throughout the year. Some examples of this category of plants include greenbrier, honeysuckle, blackberry, black gum, sumac, sassafras, willow, rose, dewberry and grape.
Forbs: Forbs are herbaceous plants, which mean that they are perennial and non woody plants that produce new growth every single spring after dying off in the winter. Forbs generally include weeds and a number of other flower-producing plants. Forbs are a proffered food source for many deer, and examples of these plants include wild clover, sedges, bellflower, mushroom, dandelion, ragweed, beans, wild lettuce and sunflower.
Nuts: Nuts are extremely nutritious when it comes to deer, but the crops produced by these plants are often small, so fords and grasses tend to provide a much more reliable food source. Some examples of nuts that deer may enjoy are red and white acorns, hickory nuts and beech nuts.
Fruits: Fruits are preferred by deer because they are so very high in energy, but good fruit crops only tend to be made available during the summer and early fall months. Some examples of fruits that deer enjoy eating are sumac seed heads, persimmons, grapes, coralberry, dewberry, blackberry, dogwood and huckleberry.
Crops: Cultivated crops are crops that were planted by humans. Where food sources are limited, these can be an important part of a deer’s diet and may include plants like wheat, oats, alfalfa, clover, soybeans, vegetables and rye grass.
By knowing what deer actually like to eat, finding them in the wild will be a lot easier from now on.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2009-01-13 05:53:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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1 comment so far ↓
I find it very interesting about the different types of food the deer like. We are an avid hunting family and it is very much a lifestyle here. This is a good post and has great points of interest in it. But, about the deer food you can purchase, we don’t bother here because it is illegal to bait the deer. I look forward to more interesting posts
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