What are they eating? (Deer that is)

[Wolfshead]

We all know about hunting the Deer's food. Food like acorns and apples and such.

But, what else do they eat? What are the other things they feed on?

I will be hunting on public land in a wild life management area in the Northeast near Central NY.
There are no farms or crop fields nearby. It is just big woods.
There are some red oaks sparsely situated in the areas I have scouted. I have not seen any apple trees.
I have seen a lot of sign (not really sure of significant trails, I'm still learning)
What else would be food for the Deer?
What would the browse be in this area that they would like?
Would would they be feeding on other than just the acorns?
Something I can look for to help me to find them.
What have you found that they like?
Thanks in advance

[Pat B]

Look for cut over areas or woods edgers where succulant vegitation grows.

[Izzy]

Jewel weed, check wet ares. Theyre loving it now but Im not sure it will be here 10/01. Diet constantly changes though.

[Bear Heart]

Sounds like you are getting a glimpse into the hair pulling frustration that comes every year with blacktail hunting WA

[Shawn Leonard]

Wild blackberry leaves they love them, also touch me nots, which are a plant with oranges flowers and hold lots of moisturethey are founfd in wet areas. Also beech nuts and maple leaves, deer that live in forrestsand not farm country adapt and eat lots of leaves from different trees. Shawn

[r-man]

they like poke weed, and dense viney foliage, wild grasses, and even briars, my grape vines, my sweet potato vines, ggreen beens,  I hunt there paths not near there food sources, and out side of bedding area

[LB_hntr]

keep in mind (as mentioned) food sources are seasonal. when it comes to acorns white oaks win look for round lobed oak leaves. red oaks are good but if there are white oaks the reds will not get hit to hard until all the whites are gone. Maple leaves are a huge food source.
Deer browse on so many differnt plant and tree speices that its almost imposible to keep up with what they are browsing on. But a good way to tell its deer browsing is my the marks. deer front teeth are angled out and dont close like most teeth so there is not a defined cut on the branches. its more of a shred and pull on the ends where they browse. whne you see this on bushes, plants, and trees you know deer are eating them. whe you see this is fresh you know they are eating it now.

[Jerry Jeffer]

Food sources available in the fall, winter, and early spring are most critical to deer because they affect body condition, winter survival, and reproduction. During these seasons, deer browse on the leaves, needles, buds, and twig ends of trees and shrubs.
Try to find some places with wild grapes. The deer enjoy grape leaves and the vines provide cover. The vines can also give YOU cover. I have had much success in areas that have grapes in the big woods. I find many deer feed through these areas.
  Other preferred Deer foods  
Maples - Trees with buds opposite each other Sugar maple has brownish or gray twigs with brown pointed buds. Red maple has red twigs and reddish rounded buds and is better deer food.
Yellow Birch - The bark of young tree , and twigs is brownish turning yellowish-gray and curling up when older. Pointed buds. Twigs taste like wintergreen. Young yellow birch looks like ironwood (a poor deer food), but ironwood has no wintergreen taste.
Sumac - Shrub commonly found in old fields and forest openings. Heavy, stiff, brown twigs and branches. One kind is fuzzy and resembles antlers in velvet. Another kind is smooth. Bunches of fuzzy red fruit at the top of all sumac plants.
  Medium quality Deer food  
Aspen - This tree is, also called "popple" or "poplar". Trembling aspen has whitish, greenish gray bark and long pointed shiny buds, Big toothed aspen has yellow green bark and fatter, fuzzy buds. Balm of Gilead (a poor deer food) looks similar, but has gray-green bark with big sticky end buds and grows in wet areas.
Ash - Green to light brownish gray, stiff, smooth stems with opposite, dark brown and black buds. Side buds close to end bud. Black ash is a swamp species. White ash prefers upland sites.
  Starvation level Deer food  
Witch-Hazel - Look for the unusual-shaped light brown buds. Yellow crinkly flowers can be seen in the fall along the sterns.Beech - Light gray smooth bark. Long pointed buds. Leaves may stay on till spring.
Beech - Light gray smooth bark. Long pointed buds. Leaves may stay on till spring.
Tag Alder - A large shrub growing in wet places. Dark greenish brown stems covered with spots. Buds on short stalks. Catkins or "cones" may be present in the fall.

[RedShaft]

they will hammer new falling white oaks!
maple leaves, as suggested, but the reason is the sugar content in the leaves. if you get a storm and it knocks down a leafed maple hunt around it they will find it and be eating all the leaves off.
i would say also if there is any clear cut areas with fresh growth they will be around and in that.

[Bill Carlsen]

Apples, acorns and beechnuts appear to be abundant this year...at least where I am hunting. Apples are already falling.

[ronp]

Lots of good info here.  Thanks!

[RC]

A fav non mast food here is honeysuckle.RC