Feeding deer corn in winter months

[Big D]

I here it is not healthy to feed deer corn in the winter is this true? I heard deer have been found dead with full bellys of corn. I read this in a popular mag and also heard this on many hunting shows. There are so many people thinking they are helping the deer by feeding them corn in the winter months were I live. It also really affects there patterns in are second deer season in pa. What do you think helping or hurting?

Thanks and GOD bless Big D

[one shot scott]

If been told/read the same things. If you are going to feed them corn, at least feed them cracked corn since it will be easier to break down and digest.

I wonder if oats would be a better option??

[Boo]

Apparently if they eat too much in one standing they get enough gas to hurt them. I guess if they are starving and they have a whole whack to eat it is bad for them. I use a feeder that puts out maybe a couple of cups of whole corn once a day so I hope they come by for a treat.

[Doe Master]

I do the same it throws once a day for 3 seconds .

[JRS]

The Ontario MNR advise against it.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume ... 258068.pdf

http://www.mindentimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2901879

[Big D]

In these could winter months is there any types of feed rather than corn that in small amounts you can supplement there diet. Since i live next to my hunting woods it would be nice to see some of deer now that the season is over.

Thanks Big D

[dutchhunter]

thats is weird i se lots of deer out in the corn feilds eating at night around here right now . the snow is not as deep out in the middel of the feild as it is along the edge . to much of anything can not be good but a littel of everything seems to work . i put out a mix of hay and corn DUTCH

[Doe Master]

Ditto I have a corn field right close by . So the same corn they are eating in the field is the same half pound in the cover of the bush in a storm .

[Big D]

Great articles jrs thanks for posting

BIg D

[bcmuledeer]

heard a strange one last year. up in fort st john last year they had alot of snow. a buddy of mine from work goes up there every year to hunt. lots of deer. last year the population was way down. when he asked his uncle(who lives up there) how come the numbers so low, he told him that deer were dying all around the farm. fish and wildlife came up and open a deer up. in their stomachs there was a dry powder. under investigation they found they were full of clover, this is what the farmer had in his hay barns to feed the cows. it was also real cold that winter and the f/w said the deer were dying of dehydration. kind of makes you wonder.

[watamach]

I heard the same thing but have been watching around 30 deer this winter and they live exclusively in some standing corn. I have watched several of them pull a cob right off and eat the whole thing and then grab another. What about hay? Hunting shows out West feed hay when hunting late season. Some nice green alfalfa hay its cheap would probably work.