Do Deer Eat Apricots?

There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat, especially when it comes to common flowers and plants. One common question is: do deer eat apricots?

Yes, deer love to eat apricots throughout the year. They will eat the apricot, leaves, limbs, bark, and whole young apricot trees. Deer are attracted to apricots because of their sweet taste.

Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating apricots can do some serious damage to these trees!

Why Do Deer Eat Apricots?

As we covered, deer will eat the leaves of apricots mostly in fall as compared to the fruits in summer.

Deer have been known to eat the entire apricot, along with the leaves of apricot trees.

They’ll even eat the bark, tops, and limb tips of young apricot tree saplings.

But why do they do this?

Deer like sweet foods and plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and apricots check every box.

Deer can do some serious damage to a large number of apricots in a single sitting if they’re hungry enough!

This was confirmed in a 1999 study on deer plant-eating habits by Cornell University.

Plants like apricots contain water, sugar, carbohydrates, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.

And don’t think that newer apricot trees are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.

Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like apricots based on opportunity.

They’re planted in the ground and grow easily in many areas, so they’re easy for deer to access.

In fact, apricots are increasing in popularity for hunters who want a deer food plot but don’t have access to farming equipment.

This is because apricots are relatively easy to grow and attract deer so well.

If you’re not convinced, leave some apricots out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!

Do Deer Eat Apricot Trees?

Deer will usually eat as much of the apricot tree as they can, including the limbs, bark, blossoms, buds, and leaves from apricot trees.

We’ll often have homeowners, gardeners, and farmers ask us if deer eat a certain type of apricot tree.

Deer will eat wild apricots, black apricot trees, kwanzan apricot trees, yoshino apricot trees, and flowering apricot trees indiscriminately, so no type is safe from them!

What Kind Of Apricots Will Deer Eat?

Plenty of farmers and hunters ask if deer eat a specific type of apricot tree they have on their farm or food plot.

Deer willl eat any type of apricots available to them, including tomcot, goldbar, goldstrike, rival, perfection, and Pui Sha Sin, and dried apricots.

When Do Deer Eat Apricots?

Apricot trees usually ripen by early July in most areas, so you’ll see deer eating apricot tree leaves, buds, and flowers in early spring.

Deer will continue to eat ripe apricots in summer and even in to fall and winter if other animals haven’t gotten them by that time.

Apricot Trees For Deer Food Plots

how to protect apricot trees from being eaten by deer

Many hunters plant apricot trees in their food plots with a lot of success.

Ideally the deer in your area will already be used to having apricots in their diet.

If not, hold off on introducing new foods like apricots because they can interrupt their normal food search patterns and make them completely reliant on the beets as their new winter food source.

How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Apricot Trees?

Some farmers and hunters encourage deer to browse their apricot trees as part of food plots or other attractants.

If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your apricots from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting apricot trees from hungry deer: their habits, your scent, repellent options, and when you plant them.

Deer will eat nearly anything if they’re hungry enough, so your main goal is making your garden as least inviting to deer as possible.

Check out our guide on how to keep deer from eating plants where we cover 25 quick and easy tips for keeping hungry deer out of your garden.

Will Apricot Trees Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?

Fortunately, most trees can heal after a good bit of deer damage.

You’ll want to trim off any loose or shredded bark where it’s not tightly secured to the trunk.

Cut any wounds on the tree into a football shape which will help the tree heal faster.

Prune back any damaged limbs, and take preventative measures to keep the deer from damaging them in the future.

The best way to protect your young apricot trees from being eaten by deer going forward is by putting a fence around them.

Are Apricots Good For Deer?

Apricots have small amounts of fiber and a good amount of sweet carbohydrates, so they attract deer easily.

In addition to being a great source of energy, deer eating apricots provide them with the following vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Manganese
Magnesium
Potassium
Phosphorous

These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.

For example, vitamin C will help protect deer against scurvy and vitamin assists in deer immune system function.

Potassium is great for deer because it helps maintain good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.

Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.

Manganese assists deer in growth, respiration, and reproduction.

A 2007 study showed that zinc can assist in growing larger antler sizes in white-tailed deer.

Phosphorus also aids deer in body and antler growth.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Apricots For Deer

Vitamins A and calcium are fat-soluble, so they can be stored in the deer’s fat and liver to be used later as needed.

This means that vitamin A content from deer-eating apricots can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.

Water-Soluble Vitamins In Apricots For Deer

Vitamin C, B Vitamins, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium are all water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.

So a deer that eats apricots for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.

How To Feed Deer Apricots

Most people who ask if deer like apricots are concerned with keeping deer away from them.

If you are trying to feed deer apricots in your backyard and attract them, then this next section of our guide is for you.

There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding deer apricots: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.

Make sure to place the apricots on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.

If deer are not normally around your area in winter, don’t feed them leading up to winter as they will not migrate where and when they should.

This will lead to the deer relying on you as their food source and can result in starvation.

Should I Cut Apricots For Deer To Eat?

Chances are that it’s not worth it for you to cut apricots for deer.

You could leave your scent on them, plus the deer’s teeth are designed to be able to eat food that’s best for them.

Apricots are naturally soft and small, so it’s not necessary to cut them up for feeding to deer.

Don’t Leave Your Scent On Deer Food

Deer have a keen sense of smell that allows them to smell human scent farther than bloodhounds can, and can smell up to six different scents at once.

Deer won’t eat food like apricots if they have a strong human scent on them, so you should take care to minimize your trace.

You can do this by rinsing the apricots and also washing your hands with antimicrobial soap.

Alternatively, you can put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on your hands when handling the food you’ll be giving to the deer.

Another easy option is to use gloves when handling apricots for deer to eat.

Consider The Amount Of Deer You’re Feeding

If you have lots of deer in your area, think twice about putting out food continuously for them.

If you bring deer together at the same feeding site, it can increase their risk of contracting chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.