Preferred Foods Of The Whitetail

[JamesKerr]

We have a couple wild persimmon trees on our land and for wild food they seem to be the best when they produce. Our deer in the fall like white oak acorns so much that they will leave a food plot or feeder to go get acorns.

[Knawbone]

Thank you for your input everyone, but PLEASE remember this thread is not about AG.CROPS

[SS Snuffer]

Dog wood  and juniper all winter long.

[Hummer3T]

They love Red oiser dogwood up here too.  So much we don't have much were deer are plentiful.  So I forgot to mention.  We call it deer licorice.

[stickbowhntr]

Originally posted by Knawbone:
Thank you for your input everyone, but PLEASE remember this thread is not about AG.CROPS

Looks like to me thats what most replys are about or did I miss something?

[Knawbone]

Yes Stickbow,People need to read my opening post,Thanks    

[captain caveman]

Here in southern Ohio have mix of mature woods clear cut and cattle farms with hay fields.  Hard to separate ag vs wild clover for ex.  I've noticed deer feed heavily about 1 week after hay is cut. Seems like they like that fresh growth white clover best.  In late season I look for dogwood sumac stands they bud early and can see evidence of ends of branches being bitten off.  Have sat in stand and watched deer eat berries of a smooth sumac tree.  Honeysuckle and greenbrier are staples especially late season or when poor acorn crop.  As for chestnut oaks I have been on stand and heard a very loud crunching noise which turned out to be deer crunching chestnut oak acorns. Could be heard 75-100 yds away.  Not as popular as white oak but wouldn't completely ignore them.  

All these factors add up to my favorite spots to hunt a geographic pinch point at the transition between mature woods and old reverting field or clear cut has all these in
same place.  

My advice to folks hunting areas like mine is  talk your neighbor into clear cutting their entire farm.  I wouldn't have the heart to do it on my own place, but deer love everything about them for food and cover and you will enjoy some of the best whitetail hunting on earth for about the next 10 yrs

[RC]

Early bow season down here I look for Bullis vines aka wild grapes first, persimmons second which is my favorite thing to hunt over because here the swamp persimmons drop before acorns and a hot persimmon is about a sure thing. Next comes water oaks and live oaks then our white oaks and swamp chestnuts start dropping. Deer love the swamp chestnuts down here. Up north a bit they don`t.They leave the water oaks when the white oaks and Chestnut oaks start dropping then get back on them later. Crab apples mid October.Kudzu and honey suckle are great late season feed.Pin oaks are great as well.Hawthorns are good to as well as palmetto berries.
  I honestly don`t care what kind of tree it is. If it is dropping and has deer sign under it being several piles of droppings and is in a thick enough place I feel a deer will come before dark I`ll hunt it.RC

[Blaino]

RC- what are Hawthorns?

[Knawbone]

Hawthorn is a small tree( Generally )which bears a small fruit about the size of a chic pea. there most often yellow or red in color and have an oblong star shaped seed inside its fleshy outside.the fruit is sometimes called thorn apple.

[Bishop]

In some areas here they will feed on spicewood leaves and in others they leave them alone.

[waknstak IL]

I used to hunt a place with a large levee running through it, If they did work on the levee and planted grass those new tender seedlings were like money in the bank. I've seen them go nuts over persimmons in places and totally ignore them in others, I've seen them eat the seeds that fall from cypress trees, honeysuckle is really good in the late season especially if there is snow or ice, white oaks and pin oaks are usually good all fall. Agricultural fields are our number one food source. but in the larger timbered areas I hunt without them I'm going to be looking for big white oaks with the most sign under them most of the time.

[Sawpilot 75]

They love soybeans in my area.. White oaks would be the #1 choice in the timber in early season. Alfalfa and corn are a big draw as well. Late season winter wheat is pretty popular.

[ChuckC]

Problem is,  many of their foods are "good" all or much of the time, but are "best" for only certain periods.  Even things like alfalfa or hay or whatever goes thru phases of growth which delivers higher protein or more fiber or better digestibility than at other times.  Their world is constantly changing.
ChuckC

[Bud B.]

Around here they love Eastern Redbud leaves either green or freshly yellowed and fallen. The Eastern Redbud grows alot on banks of highways and has the lavender blooms in the spring. The leaves are heart shaped.

But, like has been stated, they'll eat whatever they can. I have seen them nibble on new pine growth.

[lpcjon2]

If im not mistaken in harsh winter they even eat the briars. In most cases you have to hunt the food source as it produces. But in jersey they love the parkway grasses.

[Hummer3T]

The wild vetch family (cream coloured, wild vetchling, etc.) seem liked throughout the year, as a wild legume they produce pods in the fall that seem to be very palatable.  I know elk also like sarsaperella leaves in the fall but not sure if deer like it.

[gringol]

I've noticed here in FL that deer like the new shoots that come up after a fire.  I've even seen them browsing in areas where small fires are still burning!  The problem is that it's pretty hard to hunt a burned out area with a bow; no cover and nothing to funnel the deer to you.  I imagine that if you could figure out the nearby cover they are using you would have a chance.  I'm not sure exactly what plant they are focused on after a fire, but it looked to me like they weren't being all that picky.

[Pat B]

gringol, they might be eating charcoal from the fire. Lots of animals eat charcoal for one reason or another. Probably to absorbe toxins that might exist in some of their forage or for the minerals it contains.

[gringol]

Could be, Pat.  I think they probably are doing a little of both.  Those brand new, tender shoots look tasty even to me and I hate salad.