It’s not much that beat the feeling of being visited by the great whitetail. It’s beautiful to see the entire deer family come to my backyard and eat the food I’ve left out for them. The deer population has since 2000 started to decline, and we need to take care of the ones who are left.
Deer constantly strives to find the best food with high nutritional content and high digestibility, i.e., food without too high a fiber content. They don’t randomly pick their food but instead chooses their food with great accuracy.
During summer and other bare ground periods, the deer eats berry rice, heather, multiple herbs, and leaves from deciduous trees. In spring and early summer, the diet can also include some grass. Late summer and the beginning of the fall mushrooms are paramount in the deer diet.
You can feed deer with corn and soybeans. But also acorns and other nuts from trees. The deer family also enjoys various fruits and vegetables—apples, plums, pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
However, it’s important not to overfeed them with corn and soybeans since they are fermentable and can be lethal. The digestive system in deers has adapted through the years to eat a large variety of different foods. The deer may suffer from acidosis, which can be a result of a sudden change in diet.
🦌 In some states, it’s illegal to feed deer in the wild. Make sure to check whether your state allows deers to be fed.
What to feed deer in summer
If you can spare vegetables and fruits for the deers in summer, they will greatly appreciate it. If you have crops with high-protein vegetables, they will eat them. Examples of high-protein crops are soybeans, peas, kale, corn, and sorghum plants.
There’s also specially made deer feed made for hunting you can use. Often based on acorns or corn. But also liquids to attract them. Although, our purpose is to feed the deers to increase the deer population and not the other way around. However, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of using the hunters’ products for other purposes. You can find deer feed mixes on Amazon, which also works to feed other animals.
What’s the best way to feed deer?
If you live in a rural area and don’t live next to a high trafficked road and often get visited by deer, you can feed the deer in your backyard unless you have crops and don’t want to share everything with them. I wrote an entire article on what to feed deer to make them return to your backyard.
If you live more urban, you might want to consider visiting a forest nearby and feed the deer in their own home. I would suggest bringing a bag of deer feed, corn, a salt lick, and an attractant. That way, you make the best out of your trip and provide the deer family with everything they need for a long time.
If you don’t have any corn, you might be interested in what to feed deer instead of corn. I wrote an article about that.
You can place the deer feed near to a water supply and pour some attractant on top. Mix in some corn to really give them a great experience. You can hang the salt lick in a nearby tree. However, make sure the mineral lick is legal in your state before purchasing one. Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont doesn’t allow salt licks.
🦌 Did you know we have an article about how you make deer return to your backyard? If you would like to feed deer in your own backyard, you might want to check that one out.
Placement of deer feed
If you know where to find deer, that’s where you should place it. A deer eats where they feel the safest and can find food. Deer droppings and deer beds help you locate deer, and a keen eye can easily find both. Since deer like to browse for their feed and eat acorns, I suggest feeding them near a lake, next to oak trees, or where you’ve found droppings. If you have seen deer in a specific spot earlier, you can feed them there.
💡 If you aren’t a hunter and only wish to provide food for the deers, you might want to dress in strong colors to decrease the risk of accidentally being shot by hunters.
What can I feed my backyard deer in the wild?
You can feed deer a huge variety of different fruits and vegetables. Apples, for example, are perfect for deers to eat and provide them with a sweet and fresh taste while also contribute various nutrients.
LIst of fruits and vegetables suited for deer to eat in summer.
| Food | Type |
|---|---|
| Apples | Fruit |
| Beans | Vegetable |
| Broccoli | Vegetable |
| Brussels Sprouts | Vegetable |
| Cabbage | Vegetable |
| Carrots | Vegetable |
| Cauliflower | Vegetable |
| Celery | Vegetable |
| Corn | Vegetable |
| Lettuce | Vegetable |
| Plums | Fruit |
| Pumpkin | Vegetable |
| Soybeans | Vegetable |
| Tomatoes | Vegetable |
What should you think about when feeding deer
There are some things to consider before you start feeding deer in your backyard.
- If you feed the deer coming to your backyard make sure to have at least two feeding stations. Bucks usually bully the weaker, smaller fawns in the group. If the bucks are occupied with one feeding station, the fawns can have the other.
- Make sure to provide them a variety of foods and mix them up. Give them at least two salt licks to avoid any brawl in the herd.
- Protect your flowers if you care for them. Deers loves to eat flowers. Especially, roses, holly, dogwood and juniper.
- If you have other crops you don’t wish the deer to eat from, you will need to protect them as well. Onion bulbs and carrots is a treat for them. Make a fence, don’t add poison or other toxins.
Did you know we have an article on how you can help deer in the winter. You might want to check that one out.
Is it ok to feed corn in the summer?
Although feeding deer, in general, is a hot topic and the opinion of whether you should give deer food at all is debated, you may wonder if feeding corn in summer is ok. Corn is a vegetable with a lot of sugar; it does provide the deer with a lot of necessary energy. It’s better to feed corn in spring and summer than in the colder seasons. In colder seasons, the deer need food with more calories. However, feeding them only corn can be harmful, and if you don’t give them a variety of food, they may be victims of acidosis. Mix the corn with deer feed, so the change to a more starchy food over time doesn’t affect them too much.
One important thing when you feed deer is to be reliable, especially in the winter months. If you start feeding deer, the deer family will rely on you and return to provide for them. They have better food supplies in the warmer in spring and summer than in winter. However, reliability is still important.
What should you not feed deer
Some foods are poisonous to deer, for example, rhubarb and some other root vegetables. You shouldn’t feed them human foods or other foods they might have problems digesting. A too high intake of starchy foods like corn can be harmful to them and cause stomach aches. It’s better to provide a mixed variety of foods.
🐾 Did you know we have an entire article about what you can feed deer instead of corn? You might want to check that one out for some advice.
Conclusion
Before feeding deer in summer, you’ll need to check whether your state allows deer feeding. It can vary from state to state but also from season to season.
You can feed deer with corn, soybeans, and other vegetables during summer. You can also add some deer feed to and mix with the vegetables. To increase the chances of the deer finding your vegetables and deer mix, you might want to invest in an attractant.
The best way to feed deer is to provide them the food near a water source. If you plan to feed them in the forest, add the feed near a lake or river. Optimal is near a lake and close to an oak tree where they can eat acorns too. If your plan is to only provide them with food in your backyard, have a water source for them. Birdbaths are usually good.
Deer’s favorite food seems to be apples, and if you cut them into four pieces and place them around your yard they will be eaten in no time. Acorns are also popular, but if you wish to invite squirrels to your yard, they might grab them before the deers do.
Deers are professionals when it comes to avoiding poisonous plants. However, you shouldn’t feed them rhubarb or any other root vegetables. Also, avoid feeding too much of a certain vegetable – especially corn and other starchy foods. Eating too much starch may lead to acidosis.