Goldenrod is my favorite deer cover to hunt. I love sitting in a hedgerow tree and watching those bucks walk through it. Its great cover and they seem very secure in it. As far as food, young goldenrod plants just emerging in spring have a protein level over 20% and deer will eat it until the better stuff emerges. In my deer pens I encourage goldenrod and ragweed, its 3 to 5 feet of great cover, at no cost to me. It allows deer to get out of the sun, the bugs, and feel safe.