Feeding the deer during heavy snowfall...

[boustany]

We put out corn. My brother has done research on this and feeds them Purina Deer chow, which apparently isn't that much more expensive than corn and oats which is what he used to be feeding them.

The comments about the nutritional value of various foods are, as I understand it, right on the mark. Apparently, corn isn't good for them as a straight diet, nonetheless, they like to eat it.

The way I look at it, I am disturbing the balance of nature when I feed deer. Then again, my property disturbs the balance of nature, as did the folk who exsterminated most of the large predators around.

So, why do I feed the deer corn? Simple: first, they pig out on the 30 acres or so of cedar and hardwood on my property so they are pretty well fed and a bag of corn isn't going to hurt them. Second, by feeding the deer, a dozen or so come across my back yard and walk around my house a couple time a day for a corn snack. Deer are beautiful (and tasty) animals. It make me happy to see them. It makes the kids happy to see them, and, most of all, it makes my wife happy to see them.

And a happy wife is a good thing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You may consider making a 'deer feeder'. My brother's design is basically a trough with a roof. If keeps the food dry(er) and less gets covered up by snow.

We should all post our bambi pics!

 

[DaMadman]

Since there are so many posting here that they feed the deer on their property I guess me putting my 2 cents in here won't hurt anything.

I just want to say that while they are a beautiful animal and I also enjoy seeing them around the property I have made a conscience choice not to put out feed for them. I was seriously going to at one point but decided against it after looking into what it does. I did quite a bit of research and it really can cause terrible problems feeding them even if for just a few months in the harsh winter.

Maryland is one of the states that has WAAAAYYYYY to many deer right now. They are being masacred on the roads and have already become nuisances in many many subdivisions and parks around Maryland.

Think about this. As the deers' habitat is dissapearing because humans are building homes and golf courses and taking the land over for our living and recreational purposes not only are we taking the things that deer feed on away but we are pushing large numbers of deer closer together.
Just for a visual. A 200 acre farm that was 50% woods is sold and turned into a housing development. There is now almost no forest for the deer to live in now. The deer that don't get hit on the highways get pushed into 1/2 the area that they had before. So if there were 75 deer on that 200 acres, minus the ones that got killed on the road there are now 50 deer (or more) in an area probably smaller that 50 acres. So not only do they have less to forage on, there is a greatly increased chance that each and every female will now become pregnant and have 1 or 2 fawns in the spring. When the deer were spread over 200 acres the likelihood that they all got pregnant was slim to none. So now not only have people taken the land but also increased the heard by more than it would have increased before, not to mention the fact that when the property was a farm there were several people hunting and taking out some of the population before the does had their young.

Anyway I guess all that long winded post is saying is that if you feed ( suppliment the deer's diet) be prepared for them to grow in numbers and cause you or someone else down the road problems.

I love seeing the deer in the back yard too but you just got to wonder when is interfering with their food supply no longer a good Idea.

Good luck with you deer.

 

[boustany]

Well, uh, not a problem where I live, there are not really too many deer although anybody who grows corn probably feels any deer is too many. Plus, they won't let any more developments around here because this is zoned green belt or whatever.

I guess I'd say if people are **** bent on habitat destruction, should we then starve the deer too? Methinks there are too many people there, not too many deer.

 

[Junkman]

You have just given me and many others one more reason not to ever consider Maryland for a future homestead. Too many people there and they are either paving the land or building houses on all of it. My guess is that at the rate they are doing this, you will need to go to a museum just to see what a tree in its natural setting used to look like. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Oh..... as for the deer..... I will continue to help them along, just as we humans also help the less fortunate to survive by feeding them when a natural disaster takes place. If I were to subscribe to the philosophy that it is a natural culling of the population, then I would also have to subscribe to that same theory about the last tsunami........ which I don't!!!!!!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Da & Junk . . . no fighting guys. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif But let me toss some fuel on the debate.

First I totally agree with DaMadman and totally disagree with Junkman on several points. We humans created a situation where the deer could become overpopulated and then forgot to control it. Lets be honest here, we (city/suburban dwelling humans as well as many farmers) don't like living with wolves, mountain lions, bears, bobcats so we killed many of the natural predators of the deer off because they ate our family pets, our livestock, and generally threatened our kids and our lives. In many states, NONE of these animals exist in the wild and a coyote is the largest predator and that is barely even a predator if we are discussing deer. So then what did we do? Not much. Deer simply multiplied. Now I'm being pretty simplistic here, but thats the general facts. We are now faced with deer populations that are literally exponentially larger than historic natural herds. We need them to die back to maintain healthy populations, prevent starvation, and preserve OTHER species that the deer are actually crowding out. And those other species include both flora and fauna.

 

[NIXON]

I personally don't know ,or care if it's right,wrong or indifferent to feed deer during the winter months . I just feed them because I want to . I generally feed them shelled and ear corn with some Sunflower seed in the mix . I've just started to add some Goat feed to that . At first they didn't seem to like it . But now they really go for it . John

 

[Junkman]

I believe that the natural solution to this was devised by the Chinnesse.... They eat dogs and limit families to one child to control the population. I believe that we also should control the human population also. I would make other suggestions, but I won't because politics isn't allowed. However, ............... <font color="red">DELETED BY CENSOR... </font>

 

[thcri]

I guess I feed them because I love watching them. A few nights ago there was 10 of them in my back yard. The younger ones were running around in circles and my daughter and I just sat in the window and laughed. Great enjoyment. If the deer are getting over populated them increase the hunting season. Minnesota is doing that in certain areas because the population is high. In fact in some areas of the town I live in they may open bow hunting up because they have moved into town..

murph

 

[penokee]

I feel the same way. I've hunted deer for 50+ years, harvesting my share during that time and also getting to appreciate them for the beautiful - shy animal that they are. I recall years when you'd get back to camp and be happy that you saw tracks, and other years when they were abundant. The only difference is the habitat/food supply. Timber sales/cutting are what affects the deer population - no browse no deer. Tomorrow I go to camp and feed my small herd of whitetails - they live on browse (if available), but look forward to their once weekly treat of whole corn and day old bread.
Final comment - some years when the winters are harsh +275" of snow, they die off by the hundreds and possibly thousands in the deer yards. I go with the grandchildren some years looking for sheds plus pick up jaw bones.

Watching deer starve to death is a horrible thing. The young fawns usually go first and watching them lay there looking at you so weak they can't even get up, negates all the "Don"t Feed" arguments I've heard.

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Junk, I got a chuckle out of the last post of yours, I tend to agree with most of that one!