What Do Deer Eat?Just what do deer eat?
Whitetail deer are herbivores, as they feed mainly on plants. They have no front incisor teeth and when they feed, they pull and tear the plant, rather than making a clean cut. They are predominantly known as browsers, which means they nibble or feed on foliage. Depending upon their size, they eat 8 to 12 pounds of food daily! Though they get a lot of their water intake from some of the food they eat, they still need to drink water daily, especially in the fall when dry browse offers very little moisture. However, they don't care where their water source comes from, be it a puddle, a creek, or by eating snow. If there is a puddle that is secluded, they will drink from this quicker than they will from a pond that is out in the open. Many hunters seem to overlook this fact when they position their stands, but it is something that should be considered.
A long standing puddle that is deplorable to us, means nothing to them, as they have iron clad stomachs. A mature buck prefers to stay hidden and will gladly drink from a secluded watering hole! Deer feed on young plants, new growth on mature plants, twigs, leaves, berries, herbs, certain mushrooms, and poison ivy to name a few. They also love farm crops such as corn, soybean, wheat, oats, alfalfa, clover, and hay. They will feed on tree bark, dogwood, and aspen. They like fruits and especially love to eat apples.
White Oak acorns are their favorite, This is something else to remember when deciding where to place your stand! Whitetail deer eat their favorite foods first and only eat the less preferred foods if nothing else is available to them.
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