Do you feed deer during the winter/plant a food plot for them??

[allan f]

I was just wondering if you guys feed deer during the winter with alfalfa bales or anything?  Also do you guys plant a crop for them in spring to have a spot in the fall?

  I don't do either if these things as I don't have land, but I was wondering what you guys do.  I know that this will start a baiting issue and I'd like to be clear that I'm not talking about a timed feeder just planting food that they can eat if they want, and bales to help them through the winter.

Let me know what you guys do or think.

Allan

[fountain]

we feed year round on our place in GA.  we plant food plots, run corn through motor feeders and protein pelleted feed in troughs--we just vry the % protein with the season

[Fletcher]

Not in Illinois.  Food plots are OK, but other feeding is illegal due to CWD concerns.      I used to put out some 37% range blocks during winter/spring in areas I hunted, but can't anymore.   :confused:    The blocks are like a big vitamin pill and were well used by lots of critters.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

i plant food plots and make the farmer who rents my land pay me with crop left in the field. I do not put food as the deer would then become overly dependent upon me. And i would 50 deer if I had one. ( there are four or five right now up on the hill above my farm house  browsing) as much as i love watching them i think they are better off if I dont put out piles of food.

[owlbait]

Feeding is now illegal in Michigan. My brother and I have put in food plots the last 2 years in the late summer/fall to hunt over. They are buried under the snow now! Thinking of putting in some spring plots to help out after this cold winter. p.s. We only have a couple small plots so I'm not talking a lot of equipment or land.

[DEATHMASTER]

Deer dig for turnups when the snow is here.
I have corn left standing for the wildlife. And put in a bird mix at home, Sunflower, Millet, Corn, and see many animals in that also.

[Swamp Pygmy]

Nope. I don't hunt like that. Don't have anything against it though. My brother is a huge fan of it.

Years like this they are a big help. Bad mast crop and they are in the ag fields. I keep seeing deer eating grass on the fire break of the place I hunt. Can't find them legally in the woods though.

[rappstar]

I have 2 clover food plots in the timber but they are eaten out by November.  Fortunately, we had a huge acorn crop this year and the deer are still eating acorns.

[George D. Stout]

Feeding can create more bad issues than good, it tends to congregate deer in an area and most likely will be counterproductive.

Deer are browsers by nature, and many have ended up starving to death on the good intentions of people who fed them, then didn't keep it up all winter.  Food plots are an alternative to supplemental food for wildlife, but should never be intended to be an only source....ever.

[meathead]

We don't sread feed for wildlife, but we do leave standing crops for them.