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 mulberry trees?
Yes, deer love to eat mulberries throughout the year. They will eat the mulberries, leaves, buds, and limbs of mulberry trees. Deer are attracted to mulberries 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 mulberries can do some serious damage to these trees!
Why Do Deer Eat Mulberries?
As we covered, deer will eat the entire mulberry tree including the fruit, tender limbs, buds, and any foliage.
They especially love to eat the tops and limb tips of young mulberry saplings in the spring.
But why do they do this?
Deer like sweet foods and plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and mulberries check every box.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large number of mulberries 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 mulberries contain water, sugar, carbohydrates, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that newer mulberry trees are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like mulberries 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, mulberries are increasing in popularity for hunters who want a deer food plot but don’t have access to farming equipment.
This is because mulberries are relatively easy to grow and attract deer so well.
If you’re not convinced, leave some mulberries out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Mulberry Tree?
Some farmers and hunters encourage deer to browse their mulberries as part of food plots or other attractants.
If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your mulberries from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting mulberries 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 Mulberry 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.
It’s best to prune a mulberry tree when it’s dormant, and you’ll see it grow back like crazy during the next active period.
Are Mulberries Good For Deer?
Mulberries 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 protein, deer eating mulberries provide them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Iron
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.
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.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Mulberries 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 calcium content from deer-eating mulberries can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Mulberries 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 mulberries for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
How To Feed Deer Mulberries
Most people who ask if deer like mulberries are concerned with keeping deer away from them.
If you are trying to feed deer mulberries 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 mulberries: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.
Make sure to place the mulberries on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.
If you’ve got a hickory 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 Cut Mulberries For Deer To Eat?
It’s not necessary to cut mulberries for feeding to 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.
Mulberries are naturally soft, so it’s not worth your time.
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 mulberries 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 mulberries 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 mulberries 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 the chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.
Do Deer Eat Mulberries? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat mulberries?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat mulberries and mulberry trees whenever they can, especially when the trees are tender and young.
They’ll happily eat the mulberry, mulberry tree leaves, soft limbs, and buds if they’re able to.
Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to protect your mulberry trees from deer which we’ve outlined above in this guide.
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:
