Will the deer eat cracked corn? (2023)

FAQs

Is corn or cracked corn better for deer? ›

There was a study that found cracked corn for deer is more digestible. Make sure to use a feeder that keeps the feed covered and dry. This will prevent the feed from getting moldy. If the feed becomes moldy, it is best to not feed it to them.

The best corn to plant for deer food plots is field corn. Choose late-maturing varieties if you want to leave corn standing in the plot for winter feeding. Avoid white corn and silage corn.

By far the most popular and widely used bait for attracting whitetails is corn. Not only is deer corn highly consumed and well received by whitetails in almost every habitat across the continent, but it's also one of the cheapest options for hunters.

Peanut butter has physical properties that will help deer hang around in front of your trail cameras better than corn. It tends to leave a longer-lasting residue than corn, so whitetails stick around wherever you smear it.

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.

Unhealthy “Junk Food”

As ruminants, deer have a specific blend of microbes in their stomach that break down their naturally high-fiber diet. Large amounts of carbohydrate-rich, low fiber foods like deer corn can disrupt this microbiome — leading to bouts of severe diarrhea and dehydration that could be deadly.

Late Winter to Early Spring

“Are You Feeding Your Deer To Death?” is one example. This is because deer stop eating grains in the fall when corn, wheat and others are harvested. Incorporating grains at the wrong time can lead to potentially fatal digestion issues.

Corn is composed primarily of starch, which is meant to serve as an energy source for the corn seedling after germination. The starch intended for use by the growing corn plant is also readily available to the deer, which is why deer crave corn.

Cracked corn, whole kernels, or ground corn all work well for deer treats. Mix an equal amount of your corn with your whole oats. Amounts will vary depending on how much deer food you want to make.

Deer love soybeans, but no single crop can meet all of a deer's year-round needs. Diversity is best, both in your food-plot options and in natural forages that occur outside food plots. Overall, this means that there is no magic crop that will always best meet your deer's needs throughout the year.

What is a deer's favorite vegetable? ›

Vegetables that deer seem to prefer include beans, lettuce, cabbage, and cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Deer are attracted to the smell of soil as is, but if you want to up the attraction factor, pour some buck or doe urine, or scrape starter into it. This will create an exceptional trail camera site, as bucks will continue to check the scrape every time they pass by or are in the area.

Although these animals will eat feed that humans provide, carbohydrate-rich foods like fruit, grains, and corn aren't normally part of their natural diet, especially during winter, and can cause serious health problems.

It takes between 1 or 2 days for deer to find corn, but in some cases it can happen sooner, if the area is well traveled.

Daytime Deer Herd Feeding

Deer need to feed on adequate amounts of browse, 2 out 5 times during a 24 hour period within their daylight bedding areas. However, quality browse without a quality afternoon food source can leave you scratching your head, when you fail to consistently hold deer on your land.

Major deer feeding times are during the twilight hours of sunset and sunrise. During the day, most deer sleep, making it difficult to hunt or snap a shot. They usually feed in the early morning hours before going to bed, then again in the evening and throughout the night.

It should come as no surprise that deer take advantage of feeding times when vegetation is most abundant, which is between April and September in most regions. During these months, deer can feast on fields of soybean, alfalfa and other greens.

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.

Salt licks are vital parts of animal lives and nourishment. They play a key role in the health and growth of most of the animals, both wild and livestock. As a matter of fact, one of the most commonly-known animals that consume salt is a deer. A salt lick for deer can be quite attractive.

How much corn do you throw out for deer? ›

A good rule of thumb is to have one supplemental site for every 100 acres of property. You can place a 50-pound sack of corn mixed with GYT90 at each site. This should be enough to help supplement the deer herd.

If deer cannot access high quality natural forages around your feeder, they will not thrive. As a winter supplement, cracked corn, oats, or barley are an improvement over veggies and fruit, but single diets of grains are not optimal.

Jimsonweed, a nightshade, is so toxic it often grows in cow lots untouched. Deer resistant vegetables in the nightshade family include tomatoes and tomatillos, potatoes, eggplant, and some peppers. Other plants toxic to deer : Rhubarb and cucumber leaf are toxic to deer.

People are tempted to help these lovely animals survive by feeding them. Carrots have proved to be among one of the best vegetables to feed these deer with. They contain vital nutrients such as beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, Potassium, and antioxidants.

Because there was only open space between the fence and the woods, we concluded that whitetails are able to detect certain odors at least 425 yards away. Having observed this over a span of years, it's my belief they probably smell odors at far greater distances.

Corn can be fed whole with excellent results, but cracking or rolling it will increase digestibility by 5-10%. Although this improvement in digestibility can be important, it may not be enough to pay for the cost of processing the grain.

Cracked corn is high in both protein and fiber and is an excellent supplemental food to offer backyard birds. Wild birds that eat cracked corn include: doves, blackbirds, sparrows, juncos and northern bobwhites. Squirrels, raccoons, deer and opossum will also eat cracked corn.

With proper adaptation, deer can safely consume corn and other high-‐starch foods.

Late Winter to Early Spring

This is because deer stop eating grains in the fall when corn, wheat and others are harvested. Incorporating grains at the wrong time can lead to potentially fatal digestion issues.

What does cracked corn attract? ›

Shelled and cracked corn

Corn is eaten by grouse, pheasants, turkeys, quails, cardinals, grosbeaks, crows, ravens, jays, doves, ducks, cranes, and other species.

Cracked Corn: Cracked corn is a simple no mess way to feed many of the birds and wildlife in your backyard. Cracked Corn can be offered year-round in a wide variety of feeders. It is ideal for feeding squirrels, chipmunks, jays, doves and ducks from ground or hanging trays.

Cracked Corn is enjoyed by a variety of ground feeding birds such as Blue Jays, Cardinals, Doves, Juncos, Quail, Pheasants, Ducks and Grouse. Rabbits, Chipmunks and other playful wildlife will be attracted as well. It can be fed on its own or mixed with other seed.

A good rule of thumb is to have one supplemental site for every 100 acres of property. You can place a 50-pound sack of corn mixed with GYT90 at each site. This should be enough to help supplement the deer herd.

If deer cannot access high quality natural forages around your feeder, they will not thrive. As a winter supplement, cracked corn, oats, or barley are an improvement over veggies and fruit, but single diets of grains are not optimal.

Whitetails, especially bucks, need sodium during the spring and summer. This is why deer will commonly visit and use pure salt licks during a select few months, but they do not provide the overall benefits that a whitetail-specific mineral will.

Mix equal parts corn and whole oats.

Cracked corn, whole kernels, or ground corn all work well for deer treats. Mix an equal amount of your corn with your whole oats. Amounts will vary depending on how much deer food you want to make.

It takes between 1 or 2 days for deer to find corn, but in some cases it can happen sooner, if the area is well traveled.

The best time to feed deer with a feeder is usually during the day, which can train them to come during shooting hours. If you can't hunt deer over or near feeders, the timing really doesn't matter as much.