They eat what is easily accessible. Deer eat literally millions of pounds of corn annually!! Corn has a fat content of approximately 4 percent and is loaded with carbohydrates in the form of highly digestible starch. In some states where feeding/baiting is legal, deer consume tons and tons of corn and have for decades. Of course, diets change with the region. The basic diet of deer includes grass, flowers , nuts, twigs, alfalfa, corn, fruit, vegetables and fungi. You’ll notice that Midwest whitetails are eating tracts of uncut corn straight off the stalk well into February. Feeding deer promotes the passing of viruses and can be detrimental to the herd so trough type feeding of shelled corn or cracked corn is the least effective. Vegetables with potent smells, like fennel, garlic and onion, also repel deer. you can put it over corn or apples or leave it plain. Where legal, corn is the most widespread bait during the hunting season and there is no doubt that deer will eat it readily. The typical diet of the white-tailed deer does not remain constant all year long. if you want a deer bait that will drive deer crazy try grape kool-aid. Corn Corn has long been a favored bait for deer, and it’s primarily used in dedicated feeders as scattering it on the ground can be both expensive and ineffective. Not only is it healthier, but that way the starlings, crows and blackbirds won't eat it … he said people in the south use it all the time. It will be interesting to know about what do deer eat and their eating behaviour that I will be discussing in this article. This is because deer stop eating grains in the fall when corn, wheat and others are harvested. A hungry deer that has not eaten corn recently can die within a day if it comes across a large pile of corn that it devours [bloat and acidosis]. Incorporating grains at the wrong time can lead to potentially fatal digestion issues. If just feeding or for hunting over the bait, I would go with corn on the cob. During the warmer months they eat nuts, corn and acorns -- and a lot more green matter. This combination makes corn akin to rocket fuel in terms of energy value. In the wintertime food is significantly harder to find, and deer eat a lot of buds, bark and shoots then. Deer in the corn belt eat corn before it is harvested and search the harvested fields day after day for spilled grain until it’s plowed under or spring green up occurs and alternate food sources become available. a guy at the DNR gave me that tip. You want to habituate the animals to coming to your feeder in the off-season if it’s on your property and then you can move in and make your harvest. he said if it is going to rain put it out dry, but if it isn't going to rain put 1 part water for 6 parts kool- aid. Corn is readily available and commonly fed to deer by hunters and non-hunters alike. Rhubarb is a good vegetable to grow in your garden if you want to keep deer at bay, as it is toxic to them. 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