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 carrots?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat carrots throughout the year. Deer are attracted to carrots 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 carrots can do some serious damage to these plants!
Why Do Deer Eat Carrots?
As we covered, deer will eat as many carrots as possible when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like sweet foods and plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and carrots check every box.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large number of carrots 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 carrots contain water, sugar, protein, fiber, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that newer carrots are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like carrots based on opportunity.
They’re planted in the ground and grow easily in many areas, so they’re easy for deer to access.
If you’re not convinced, leave some carrots out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
Do Deer Eat Carrot Plants?
Deer will eat every part of the carrot plant including the leaves, roots, tops, and the carrot itself.
What Kinds Of Carrots Do Deer Eat?
We’ll have homeowners ask: do deer eat raw carrots or if they target a specific type of carrot they have in their garden.
The short answer is, yes, deer will eat all types of carrots imperator, danvers, nantes, and chantenay carrots.
The color doesn’t matter either: deer will eat purple, yellow, white, and rainbow carrots indiscriminately.
Will Carrots Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Unfortunately, most of the time when deer eat carrots, they damage their roots by pulling them and there are low chances for them to regrow.
You can regrow carrots from carrot tops, but you’ll need to place them in water inside your home until the tops sprout shoots, then you can replant them and regrow your carrots.
How Do You Keep Deer From Eating Carrots?
Some farmers and hunters encourage deer to browse their carrots as part of food plots or other attractants.
If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your carrots from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting carrots 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 Carrots Good For Deer?
Carrots are highly digestible fiber and plenty of protein, so it attracts deer easily.
In addition to being a great source of protein, deer eating carrots provide them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Calcium
These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.
Vitamin K helps to make various proteins that are needed for blood clotting and the building of bones.
Deer need calcium for bone, teeth, and antler growth and health as well as other bodily functions like milk production and metabolism.
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 a good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Carrots For Deer
Vitamin K 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 K content from deer-eating carrots can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins In Carrots 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 carrots for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
How To Feed Deer Carrots
Most people ask if deer-like carrots are concerned with keeping deer away from them.
If you are trying to feed deer carrots 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 carrots: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.
Make sure to place the carrots 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 Carrots For Deer To Eat?
Chances are that it’s not worth it for you to cut carrots 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.
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 carrots 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 carrots 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 carrots 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 Carrots? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat carrots?
The answer is yes!
Deer will eat carrots whenever they can, especially when the plants are young because of their softness.
Once a carrot is mature, deer will still eat the carrot 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: