Alternatives to Deer Feed

Providing planted stands of food for deer, rather than deer feed, allows deer to eat in a more natural fashion and provides cover and food for a range of other game birds and animals. Plant in close proximity to the transition areas between habitats, as this is where deer prefer to feed, and near brushy cover to facilitate escape from predators.

Agricultural crops

Soybeans and corn provide valuable protein sources. They can be left in the field, picked and fed, or used as silage. The forage form of soybeans in particular are excellent silage material, pairing well with hay for feeding to deer.
Protein levels can greatly influence the development of antlers in male deer. Does need more protein for carrying and birthing fawns and lactation. Feeding a high quality protein in the right percent for the seasonal needs of the deer population will help ensure they form a spectacular rack and breed successfully. 16 to 20 percent protein diets should adequately cover deer for any season and match the needs of a diverse population.

Perennial Legumes

Deer will self select food that tastes good and is nutritious. Clover and alfalfa are packed with nutrition and protein that deer need and are often chosen by herds. These selections can be grown in planted plots or found growing wild. They can be fed green as pasture or baled into hay and portioned out for winter use. Clover and alfalfa are good warm season growers and help to fix nitrogen in the soil.

Grasses

Rye, wheat and oat grasses are good for cool season plantings. Planting more than one of each grass or different types of rye, oat or wheat will help ensure the crop makes it through the season. Doing so will also provide deer a more attractive choice because of the variety offered which may meet changing tastes and needs.

Natural foods

Encouraging the growth of natural food sources that sustain wild populations may be the best of all choices. Deer show preference for certain foods and these preferences change with the seasons and factors which may not be obvious to observers.
Allowing tracts of land to return to nature, to native plants, trees, brush and weeds, provides deer with both cover and food. It does so in the least stressful manner for the deer and with a low level of human interference or intervention.

Not feeding

Some wildlife professionals, including Fish and Game Department representatives, say that feeding deer is actually a harmful practice. Deer must learn to live off of their environment and what it provides naturally. It is safer and more important in the long term and for animal health to ensure that adequate cover and wild food supplies are readily available.
Feeding from stations or in yards can alter behavior and normal patterns, leading to dangerous situations for humans, pets and the deer. Deer can learn to come to man made feeding sources, which may tempt them away from wild areas better able to sustain their population.

References

• Food Plots and Forage Soybeans
• Food Plots for White-tailed Deer
• Feeding Deer Harms Their Health

Resources

• Deer Nutrition & Management Protein Levels And Antler Growth