There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat corn?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat corn year-round. Deer are attracted to corn because it’s sweet, packed with energy they need, and easy for them to access.
Considering that a single deer can eat several pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating corn can really do some serious damage to your crop!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your corn, and keep your field healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Corn?
As we covered, deer will eat as much corn as possible when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like plants that contain nutrients they need and are accessible nearly year-round, and corn checks every box.
Corn is also naturally sweet, and deer love sweet foods.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of corn 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.
Crops like corn contain water, sugar, carbs, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that your newer corn fields are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like corn based on opportunity.
In fact, people specifically choose to grow corn for food plots to attract deer.
If you’re not convinced, leave some corn seeds out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
When Do Deer Eat Corn?
The time of year when deer will hit corn really depends on which part of the country you’re in.
The more nutritional stress deer are under, the more likely they are to eat corn.
In the deep South, you’ll usually see deer eating corn starting in early winter, around November and December.
In the Midwest and northern climates, deer will start eating corn in mid to late October and in the months beyond.
Planting Corn For Deer Food Plots
You can plant corn purposely to attract deer as part of a food plot and will almost certainly see success in this strategy!
Ideally the deer in your area will already be used to having some corn in their diet.
If not, hold off on introducing a high-carb food like corn because it can interrupt their normal food search patterns and make them completely reliant on the corn you’re planting as their new winter food source.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Corn?
Most folks investigating whether deer like corn are trying to find ways to attract them.
If you’re in the other camp and want to protect your corn crops from deer, we’ve got some great options for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting corn 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.
What Kind Of Corn Do Deer Eat?
Although a deer’s favorite corn is field corn, they’ll eat almost any kind, including dent corn, sweet corn, flint corn, heirloom corn, flour corn, and pod corn.
Will My Corn Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
As long as the growing point of the corn is not damaged, your corn will continue to grow.
Just care for your corn as you normally would and you should see it get back to regular health in a few weeks.
Is Corn Good For Deer?
Yes, corn is very healthy for deer to eat.
Feeding deer corn provides them with critical macronutrients like protein and plenty of carbohydrates, plus some much-needed digestible fiber.
Corn also provides deer with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamins B, C, E, and K
- Magnesium
- Potassium
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.
Potassium is great for deer because it helps maintain good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.
Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
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 K content from deer eating corn 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 corn for the potassium content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Not to mention, corn contains 1g of protein and 1g of carbs from fiber, all which are beneficial to deer.
Do Deer Eat Corn? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat corn?
The answer is yes, whenever they can!
Deer will eat all the corn they can get, especially during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter and the corn is the most tender.
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: