an average doe will eat 6 to 10 pounds of food per day. thats dry weight, after all the moisture has been removed. a dozen hostas are like one nights food. also, their root system is what is referred to as a corm. It stores energy through the leaves. once the leaves are eaten, it will not be able to store energy for next years growth. it will die in a couple years. you would have to plant a lot of hostas to keep them coming back. Plant clover.