There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat strawberries?
Yes, deer love strawberries. Deer will eat the fruits, leaves, stems, and vines of strawberries. Deer are attracted to strawberries because of their sweet taste.
There’s a bit more to learn about deer eating strawberries which we’ll cover in today’s guide. Read on for more info.
Why Do Deer Eat Strawberries?
As we covered, deer will eat strawberries when they’ve got the chance.
They will gladly eat the entire strawberry plant (fruit, vine, stems, leaves, and all), as well as trample nearby strawberry plants while trying to chow down.
But why do they do this?
Well, for one, deer are browsing animals, meaning they’ll eat almost anything they come across if they’re hungry enough.
Your strawberries are most susceptible to deer when there are fewer other food choices around for them, and especially when the strawberries are young and the plants are tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like strawberries based on opportunity.
If you’re not convinced, leave some strawberries out for deer to eat (or plant some), and wait to see what happens!
Do Deer Eat Wild Strawberries?
We’ll have homeowners ask: do deer eat wild strawberries or another specific type they have on their property or in their garden.
The short answer is, yes, deer will eat all types of strawberries including homegrown, farm-grown, and wild strawberries.
They will eat the entire strawberry plant if they can get to it.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Strawberries?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting strawberries 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 My Strawberries Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
So a hungry deer snuck in your garden and had a feast on your strawberries. Will they grow back?
Usually as long as the crown of the plant is undamaged your strawberries will grow back over time.
Also, the earlier in the season that the deer eat the leaves from your strawberry plants, the weaker the plants will be.
If deer eat the leaves from your strawberry plants around winter, you should be fine as strawberry plants regrow leaves anyhow.
Continue to care for your strawberries including water and fertilizing until they’re back to good health.
If your strawberries don’t bounce back after a few weeks, you’ll need to remove them and start new plants.
Consider replanting them in raised containers next time to make it harder for deer to get at.
If the deer damage your strawberry plants during winter, consider covering them with some hay and chicken wire to protect them from another attack.
Are Strawberries Good For Deer To Eat?
Feeding deer strawberries provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Manganese
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.
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 strawberries 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 strawberries for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
How To Feed Strawberries To Deer
Most gardeners and veggie growers want to keep deer away from their strawberries.
If you have extra strawberries or are looking to see if you can feed strawberries to deer, this next part is for you.
There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding deer strawberries: the size of the portion, your scent, and how many deer you’re feeding.
Make sure to place the strawberries on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.
If you’ve got a winter food plot with strawberries growing in it, the deer will eat them right out of the ground.
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 Strawberries For Deer To Eat?
Chances are that it’s not worth it for you to cut up strawberries to feed the 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.
Strawberries are also small and soft, so it’s not necessary to cut them up for feeding to deer.
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 strawberries 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 strawberries 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 strawberries 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 Strawberries? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat strawberries?
The answer is yes!
Strawberries are like candy to deer, and they’ll gobble up the entire strawberry plant if they can.
Deer will eat different all types of strawberries including home-grown, farm-grown, and wild strawberries.
Fortunately there are many methods you can use and combine to keep deer away from your precious strawberries.
Try a few and see what works best for you.
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:
