If you’re like most hunters, you’re probably concerned about planting the right things to attract wildlife. Chufa are a grass-like plant that has a peanut-like underground nut and thrives in sandy soil. But do deer eat chufa?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat the leaves, tubers, and the nuts of chufa. Deer love chufa because they’re high in protein, hold water, and are tasty to them.
Considering that a single deer can eat several pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating chufa can really do some serious damage to your garden!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your chufa and why they eat them in the first place.
Why Do Deer Eat Chufa?
As we covered, deer will eat every part of chufa (stem, tubers, nut, and all) when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like lush plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and chufa check every box.
They also have sweet leaves which are very palatable to deer, and chufa are easy on a deer’s digestive system.
The smell of chufa is also very enticing to deer.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of chufa plants 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 chufa contain water, sugar, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that your newer chufa are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like chufa based on opportunity.
They’re usually planted in the ground so they’re easy for deer to access.
In fact, some folks specifically plant chufa in their food plots to attract deer.
If you’re not convinced, leave some chufa out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Chufa?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting chufa 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.
Are Chufa Plants Good For Deer?
Yes, chufa (also known as tiger nuts) are very healthy for deer to eat.
Deer eating chufa provides them with protein as well as the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Phosphorous
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Potassium
- Iron
For example, vitamin C will help protect deer against scurvy and vitamin assists in deer immune system function.
Deer need calcium for bone, teeth, and antler growth and health as well as other bodily functions like milk production and metabolism.
Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
A 2007 study showed that zinc can assist in growing larger antler sizes in white-tailed deer.
Potassium is great for deer because it helps maintain good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Chufa For Deer
Vitamins A, D, E, K, 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 calcium content from deer eating chufa can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Chufa For Deer
Vitamin C, B Vitamins, niacin, folic acid, zinc, and potassium are all water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.
So a deer that eats chufa for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Do Deer Eat Chufa? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat chufa?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat as many chufa plants as they can, and they benefit from the vitamins and minerals found in them.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep them away like using fences, motion-activated devices, or reducing the enticing scent that your chufa give off to ward off deer from eating them.
If you’re actively trying to attract deer to a food plot, chufa are an excellent choice as long as you have sandy soil.
Have any observations to add to the discussion? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Check our our other helpful wildlife guides while you’re here:
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