There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat hazelnuts?
Deer love to eat hazelnuts because of their taste and easy access. While hazelnuts are not a common part of a deer’s diet, they provide vitamins and protein which aid in deer health.
There’s a bit more to learn about deer eating hazelnuts which we’ll cover in today’s guide. Read on for more info.
Why Do Deer Eat Hazelnuts?
Deer love to eat hazelnuts because they like the taste and they fall on the ground, so they’re easy to get at.
Why is this?
Hazelnuts are very sweet and don’t have bitter tannins like acorns or other nuts do, so deer greatly prefer them.
The same goes for hazelnut sprouts from stumps and their seedlings.
Deer feed on hazelnuts usually between autumn and winter
During winter months, deer may eat the twigs, bark, and leaves off of hazelnut trees as well.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like hazelnuts based on opportunity.
In fact, some folks specifically choose to grow hazelnut trees near their food plots to attract deer.
If you’re not convinced, leave some hazelnuts out for deer to eat (or plant a hazelnut tree), and wait to see what happens!
Do Deer Eat Hazelnut Bushes?
Deer love browsing leafy greens, including those found on hazelnut bushes.
Deer will happily eat the shoots, twigs, and leaves from hazelnut bushes, so it’s important to take steps to protect your bushes if that’s a concern for you.
Do Deer Eat Hazelnut Trees?
Yes. In addition to eating the hazelnuts, deer love to browse on the leaves, stems, and buds of hazelnut trees, which can cause quite a bit of damage.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Hazelnut Trees?
Most people who are asking do deer like hazelnuts are trying to find ways to attract them.
If you’re the opposite and looking to keep deer away, this next section is for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting hazelnut 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.
Use Bud Caps On Your Hazelnut Trees
Bud caps are just 4” x 6” pieces of paper folded in half that you staple around the bud and terminal shoot of your hazelnut tree.
Use about two to three staples on each side of the paper to hold it in place.
Deer will be discouraged from munching on the hazelnut buds thanks to the bud caps in their way.
You can spray homemade deer repellent or mint spray on these bud caps for an added layer of protection.
Will My Hazelnut Trees Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately most hazelnut trees can survive deer browsing, and will grow back to good health in a few years.
Consider using one of the preventative options we outlined above to prevent damage done to them by deer.
Are Hazelnuts Good For Deer?
When deer eat hazelnuts it provides them with a good blend of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber, along with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Manganese
These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.
Vitamin E helps to support deer immune function and the integrity of the membranes in deer cells.
Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
Manganese assists deer in growth, respiration, and reproduction.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins 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 vitamin A content from deer eating hazelnuts can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins For Deer
Vitamin C, B Vitamins, niacin, folic acid, and potassium are all water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.
So a deer that eats hazelnuts for the potassium content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
How To Feed Deer Hazelnuts
There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding deer hazelnuts: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.
Make sure to place the hazelnuts on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.
If you’ve got a hazelnut tree, the nuts will naturally fall on the ground and the deer will eat them, usually after all other food resources have been depleted.
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 Shell Hazelnuts For Deer To Eat?
Chances are that it’s not worth it for you to spend time specifically shelling hazelnuts for deer.
You could leave your scent on them, plus the deer’s teeth are designed to be able to eat food (or crack shells open) for food that’s best for them.
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 hazelnuts 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 hazelnuts and also washing your hands with antimicrobial soap.
Alternatively, you can put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on your hands when handling food you’ll be giving to the deer.
Another easy option is to use gloves when handling hazelnuts 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.
Can Deer Eat Hazelnuts? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat hazelnuts?
The answer is yes.
Deer will consume hazelnuts whenever they can because they’re sweet and benefit from the vitamins and minerals found in them.
Have any observations to add to the discussion? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Check our our other helpful deer food guides while you’re here:
