Winter feeding deer

Deer really like browse - around my house are fields that are planted by the neighboring farmers - they generally grow soy beans, corn, wheat and potatoes - so there is always plenty of food for the deer even after the fields are harvested - in my yard a large old apple tree was blown over a couple weeks ago - I checked it out yesterday and noticed that the deer had eaten every bud on all the branches - so it seems that even with all the other food laying in the surrounding fields they still want to eat browse - I would think that they would be eating this during the winter when the other food was harder to get but I guess not

The #1 most important thing to remember about feeding deer is they will become dependent on you. Feed them ONLY if you are prepared and able to do until fresh growth is available well into the spring.

If you stop, and a late season blizzard comes in before new growth is available they will more then likely die. Their fat reserves will be gone, and they will have nothing.

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Originally Posted by JoePa

Deer really like browse - around my house are fields that are planted by the neighboring farmers - they generally grow soy beans, corn, wheat and potatoes - so there is always plenty of food for the deer even after the fields are harvested - in my yard a large old apple tree was blown over a couple weeks ago - I checked it out yesterday and noticed that the deer had eaten every bud on all the branches - so it seems that even with all the other food laying in the surrounding fields they still want to eat browse - I would think that they would be eating this during the winter when the other food was harder to get but I guess not

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Dead on. Winter logging is one of the best things you can do for deer. I skid the trees whole onto the landing, cut off the tops and branches and push them into a pile, then skid the trunks to the other side. By the time March rolls round, they are so used to the process (and so hungry) they barely lift their heads when I go by them with the skidder.

If I'm not logging in one of our bushes, I'll go in a couple of times a month during the winter and cut down a few cull cedars to give them some browse.