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 sweet potatoes?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat sweet potatoes throughout the year. Deer are attracted to sweet potatoes because of their sweet taste and nutrients they provide.
Considering that a single deer can eat up to ten pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating sweet potatoes can do some serious damage to these plants!
Why Do Deer Eat Sweet Potatoes?
As we covered, deer will eat the entire sweet potato plant when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like sweet foods and plants that are well-watered, fertilized, and packed with nutrients.
Sweet potatoes check every box!
Deer can do some serious damage to a large number of sweet potatoes 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 sweet potatoes contain water, sugar, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that newer sweet potatoes are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like sweet potatoes 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, sweet potatoes are increasing in popularity for hunters who want a deer food plot but don’t have access to farming equipment.
This is because sweet potatoes are relatively easy to grow and attract deer so well.
If you’re not convinced, leave some sweet potatoes out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
What Kinds Of Sweet Potatoes Do Deer Eat?
We’ll have homeowners ask: do deer eat leaves of sweet potatoes or another specific type they have on their property.
The short answer is, yes, deer will eat all types of sweet potatoes including Beauregard, Jewel, Red Garnet, Covington, Centennial, Hernandez, O’Henry, Jersey, Japanese White, Murasaki, Hannah, Batata, Okinawa, and Stokes Purple sweet potatoes.
When Do Deer Eat Sweet Potatoes?
Deer will mostly eat sweet potatoes in late spring, summer, and early autumn, but they will not hesitate to eat them year-round if other food sources are depleted.
Do Deer Eat Sweet Potato Vine?
Some gardeners will ask whether or not deer eat sweet potato plants.
Yes, deer will eat the sweet potato vine and leaves along with the sweet potatoes if given the chance, so you must take steps to protect the entire plant from being eaten by deer.
Will Sweet Potatoes Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, sweet potatoes are mostly resilient, so a sweet potato vine will grow back after deer eat it.
How Do You Keep Deer From Eating Sweet Potatoes?
Some farmers and hunters encourage deer to browse their sweet potatoes as part of food plots or other attractants.
If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your sweet potatoes from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting sweet potatoes 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 Sweet Potatoes Good For Deer?
Sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates that provide deer the energy they need, so they attract deer easily.
In addition to being a great source of carbs, deer eating sweet potatoes provide them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin B6
- 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.
Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Sweet Potatoes For Deer
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so it can be stored in the deer’s fat and liver to be used later as needed.
This means that vitamin D content from deer-eating sweet potatoes can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Sweet Potatoes For Deer
Vitamin C and potassium are water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.
So a deer that eats sweet potatoes for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
How To Feed Deer Sweet Potatoes
Most people ask if deer-like sweet potatoes are concerned with keeping deer away from them.
If you are trying to feed deer sweet potatoes 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 sweet potatoes: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.
Make sure to place the sweet potatoes 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 Up Sweet Potatoes For Deer To Eat?
If possible, cube or slice the sweet potatoes into 1” – 2” pieces to make it easier for the deer to eat sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are high in fiber which can be tough for deer to digest in large quantities.
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 sweet potatoes 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 sweet potatoes 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 sweet potatoes 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.
Do Deer Eat Sweet Potatoes? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat sweet potatoes?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat sweet potatoes whenever they can, especially when the plants are young because they’re more tender.
Once the sweet potato is mature, deer will still eat the sweet potato and leaves from them ravenously.
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:
