| Deer, in their natural habitat, do not eat "deer | | | | Forbs |
| feed" that can be purchased at the feed store. | | | | Forbs are herbaceous plants (perennial, non |
| So, left to their own devices, what do deer eat? | | | | woody plants that die every winter but produce |
| Deer are herbivores, meaning they only eat | | | | new growth every spring). Forbs include weeds |
| plants. While there are plenty of plants in the | | | | and other flowering plants. This is a proffered |
| forest, not all plants provide adequate nutrition for | | | | food source. Examples: |
| deer. | | | | - wild clover |
| Much like humans, deer have preferences for | | | | - mushrooms |
| certain foods and will eat them whenever and | | | | - dandelion |
| wherever they find them. When these foods are | | | | - ragweed |
| not available they will move on to acceptable | | | | - wild lettuce |
| foods (less nutrition and less tasty, but still | | | | - sunflower |
| acceptable.) If there is a lot of competition from | | | | - beans |
| other deer in the area, even these food sources | | | | - ragweed |
| may become depleted and deer will be forced to | | | | - bellflower |
| eat "foods of last resort;" these are foods that | | | | - sedges |
| are very low in nutrients, but are better than | | | | Nuts |
| nothing. Seasonal changes also affect the | | | | Very nutritious for deer, but crops of nuts are |
| availability of foods. | | | | often small, so this food source is not as reliable |
| Types of Foods That Deer Eat | | | | as forbs and grasses. Examples: |
| Wild Grasses | | | | - red acorns |
| Wild grasses are only eaten when the shoots are | | | | - white acorns |
| you and tender. They are a food of last resort, | | | | - beechnuts |
| and help deer survive when deer cannot find | | | | - hickory nuts |
| other foods. | | | | Cultivated Crops |
| Woody Plants and Shrubs | | | | These are crops that humans plant. These can be |
| Deer can feed on trees and shrubs. The eat the | | | | an important part of deer diet in areas where |
| leaves, twigs and buds of these types of plants all | | | | other food sources are limited. Examples: |
| year around. Examples: | | | | - wheat |
| - honeysuckle | | | | - clover |
| - blackberry | | | | - soybeans |
| - sassafras | | | | - rye grass |
| - rose | | | | - vegetables |
| - dewberry | | | | - alfalfa |
| - grape | | | | - oats |
| - willow | | | | Fruits |
| - sumac | | | | Very high in energy, deer prefer these foods, but |
| - black gum | | | | they are usually only available during summer and |
| - greenbrier | | | | early fall. |