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Deer Hunting
Feeding the deer in winter
Uploaded on January 12, 2010I asked a biologist friend of mine what's best to feed the deer to help them thru winter weather. He told me that while lots of folks feed shelled corn, it's not always the best of ideas as their digestive system can't always handle it and it can be fatal. That led to a call to the local farm co-op, who told me that yes, deer have trouble with shelled corn due to the shell of the kernal being so hard. He suggests a mixture of cracked corn and steer fattener, both of which have nutritional value. Hope you find this information of interest and value.
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Wow I always thought shelled corn was the best.. guess not next time I might smash it up a bit. I have a mineral lick that has been out for 3 weeks with no action yet. Why won't they touch the mineral lick in winter?
They don't require it now so they don't bother with it. Put it out as soon as the weather starts to warm up when they need minerals for lactating and antler growth and watch it disappear. Either a plain old white or red block from the feed store or you can use the loose stuff, in or around a stump or tree roots, or you can put the loose stuff in a burlap bag and hang it from a limb. The rain will seep thru and they'll dig around under it. As to cracking your own corn, I don't know how one might do that. According to the local co-op here, cracked corn is only .20 more per hundred # than shelled. With the way they look around home lately, we need to do something to help them out.
illegal to feed deer in the Lower pennisula in Michigan now due to CWD!!
Good point, Matt, this is all assuming it's legal in your state, as it is in mine. Thanks.
My cousin uses goat feed mixed with cracked corn, and they tear it up !!!!
even though illegal a lot a people got busted this last year baiting, and the funny one of the year goes to a little old lady who has a ton of bird feed out, the deer are yarding up at her house now! She said she seen fifty the other night.."I'm going through a 20lb bag a bird seed a night!" I'm just curious if the CO/DNR is going to bust her...she can shoot, I would not mess with her
MY food for winter time= honeysuckle, wild rasberry, ya know browse stuff, or agro planted and not harvested..this is not illegal
All the animal lovers that live along the highway south of Pigeon River to Grand Marais, Minn. feed the deer. It's a bloody grill-crushing gauntlet trying to get through there to Duluth at night. I DO NOT favor feeding deer. Period. Winter kill is nature's way. And nature is the best guide for "improving the herd".
that is true "OH hunter" winter does kill of the weaker and old/young..not just in areas of feeders by animal lovers...It is getting really bad in some wildlife reseve/park areas. The deer are not hunted and are also killing off plants/trees.. So I ask what would be better in those heavily deer fed areas, harvest and feed homeless/ less fortunate or feed them deer only to take out the vehicle and the deer only to feed insurance co. and scavnegers???
checks and balances has been going on before we all came along and will continue after...but why can we not use this to our advantage?
where can you buy steer fattener, can you get it from your local feed store
Yes, steer fattener is a generic name, it's also called steer buster and cookie meal to my knowledge. Used to put the weight on slaughter cattle. Any working feed store or farm co-op should be aware of it. If you can't find that, horse & mule feed is pretty close.
If steer fattener contains steriods I wonder if this would help antler growth...sure works for baseball players! sorry...couldn't help that...relating to the mineral lick question...mix one part trace mineral salt with one part calcium diphosphate....recomended by biologists for key nutreints beyond salt needs....helps fetus growth and antler development...have several on my place that I refresh every year or two...deer use them starting in March through September in Alabama...Roll Tide..
I never would have never thought that shelled corn could be harmful for there digestive system. It makes total sense though. Thanks for the heads up.
Deer are wild animals, leave them that way. I'm not going to criticize a little baiting where legal, but never feed deer.
Where i live there is never enough cold to cause herding or winter die off.But any kind of placing grain out will get you a large fine.Is there any natural way to help these animals through these frigid winters?I know that i have fertilized large blackberry thickets and they keep putting on fresh leaves even in freezing conditions? Just questions from someone who wants to learn.Not trying to be a smartazz.
Alabamaoutlaw
Leave it to mother nature to take care of by herself. Anything else is not "natural".
even the natives knew how to help mother nature..controlled burns that brought back native grasses/plants that would could sustain the herd for the upcoming year.
I have done this in a small area. It worked, not just for the deer. The grass/filed came back thicker and with more browse then before, I treat this area as my sanctuary and the deer love to bed there now.
I always say, "Feeding takes the wild out of wildlife, the natural out of nature, and the hunt out of hunting."
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even the natives knew how to help mother nature..controlled burns that brought back native grasses/plants that would could sustain the herd for the upcoming year.
I have done this in a small area. It worked, not just for the deer. The grass/filed came back thicker and with more browse then before, I treat this area as my sanctuary and the deer love to bed there now.
Wow I always thought shelled corn was the best.. guess not next time I might smash it up a bit. I have a mineral lick that has been out for 3 weeks with no action yet. Why won't they touch the mineral lick in winter?
illegal to feed deer in the Lower pennisula in Michigan now due to CWD!!
Good point, Matt, this is all assuming it's legal in your state, as it is in mine. Thanks.
My cousin uses goat feed mixed with cracked corn, and they tear it up !!!!
even though illegal a lot a people got busted this last year baiting, and the funny one of the year goes to a little old lady who has a ton of bird feed out, the deer are yarding up at her house now! She said she seen fifty the other night.."I'm going through a 20lb bag a bird seed a night!" I'm just curious if the CO/DNR is going to bust her...she can shoot, I would not mess with her
MY food for winter time= honeysuckle, wild rasberry, ya know browse stuff, or agro planted and not harvested..this is not illegal
All the animal lovers that live along the highway south of Pigeon River to Grand Marais, Minn. feed the deer. It's a bloody grill-crushing gauntlet trying to get through there to Duluth at night. I DO NOT favor feeding deer. Period. Winter kill is nature's way. And nature is the best guide for "improving the herd".
If steer fattener contains steriods I wonder if this would help antler growth...sure works for baseball players! sorry...couldn't help that...relating to the mineral lick question...mix one part trace mineral salt with one part calcium diphosphate....recomended by biologists for key nutreints beyond salt needs....helps fetus growth and antler development...have several on my place that I refresh every year or two...deer use them starting in March through September in Alabama...Roll Tide..
I never would have never thought that shelled corn could be harmful for there digestive system. It makes total sense though. Thanks for the heads up.
Deer are wild animals, leave them that way. I'm not going to criticize a little baiting where legal, but never feed deer.
Where i live there is never enough cold to cause herding or winter die off.But any kind of placing grain out will get you a large fine.Is there any natural way to help these animals through these frigid winters?I know that i have fertilized large blackberry thickets and they keep putting on fresh leaves even in freezing conditions? Just questions from someone who wants to learn.Not trying to be a smartazz.
Alabamaoutlaw
Leave it to mother nature to take care of by herself. Anything else is not "natural".
They don't require it now so they don't bother with it. Put it out as soon as the weather starts to warm up when they need minerals for lactating and antler growth and watch it disappear. Either a plain old white or red block from the feed store or you can use the loose stuff, in or around a stump or tree roots, or you can put the loose stuff in a burlap bag and hang it from a limb. The rain will seep thru and they'll dig around under it. As to cracking your own corn, I don't know how one might do that. According to the local co-op here, cracked corn is only .20 more per hundred # than shelled. With the way they look around home lately, we need to do something to help them out.
that is true "OH hunter" winter does kill of the weaker and old/young..not just in areas of feeders by animal lovers...It is getting really bad in some wildlife reseve/park areas. The deer are not hunted and are also killing off plants/trees.. So I ask what would be better in those heavily deer fed areas, harvest and feed homeless/ less fortunate or feed them deer only to take out the vehicle and the deer only to feed insurance co. and scavnegers???
checks and balances has been going on before we all came along and will continue after...but why can we not use this to our advantage?
where can you buy steer fattener, can you get it from your local feed store
Yes, steer fattener is a generic name, it's also called steer buster and cookie meal to my knowledge. Used to put the weight on slaughter cattle. Any working feed store or farm co-op should be aware of it. If you can't find that, horse & mule feed is pretty close.
I always say, "Feeding takes the wild out of wildlife, the natural out of nature, and the hunt out of hunting."
Post a Reply