Feeding deer in winter
Feeding deer in winter
Steve Bartylla
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Originally Posted by Bullwinkle
 Steve – I know this is illegal
My neighbors feed deer all winter. Truck loads of corn Is corn enough to get the deer through? We did not find a single dead deer on my property but to be honest, after Feb my land was void of deer since I didn’t feed. |
Feeding deer in winter
Feeding up here can get dicey. You’re going to draw a ton of deer in, even if you feed just a little over winter, but do so on a consistent, daily basis. Feeding can be a huge help, provided they supply enough for all the deer and spread it out over an area, as opposed to one pile. However, don’t feed enough or spread it out and you draw a ton of deer in, a few are fairly well fed while the rest get a few scraps and must try surviving mainly on massively over browsed woods (due to drawing so many deer and not offering enough food).
If your neighbors are winter feeding at a level that matches the number of deer they draw in, as well as spreading the feed out, you’re in great shape.
Feeding deer in winter
That costs a ton of $$$$, though. I’d be going through 300-400 lbs of feed a day by mid Feb when I used to feed in WI, back when it was legal, corn was cheap and I was getting Antler King Deer & Elk Pellets at a massive discount. If they aren’t, it can hurt most deer more than it helps.