We just got a killer snow here in ky, and this guy down the road put out some corn and there were 5 deer in his yard this evening. what would be the best thing to put out for them. i know that they can't find food in 10 inches of snow.

Your neighbor knows.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

they cant? if that was the case you would have some serious problems with disease come spring due to the winter die offs! You would be suprised how well they can survive! Also feeding wild critters isnt something to take lightly. Its a responsibility to the extent of working on a farm...feeding 3 times a day, milking 3 times a day, not to mention the daily activities that must be done...NO play time!! No private time! Those deer will become dependent on you.....you let them down...they die!

Corn really puts the fat on them, but after a few weeks, if it's all they eeat, it can cause probleems with their digestion. Biologists reccomend regular sweet feed, 12%.

If you can work out a deal with the local grocery stores for picking up their spoiled or nasty looking apples the deer love them. The produce manager will usually set them aside in a box for you. Depending on the size of the grocery store the can have alot of them. Deer really love raw peanuts in the shell.... but they're awfully expensive around here. If I buy a bag of those I just put a few in with the corn as a treat. I've seen them just pick out the peanuts and leave the corn. Soybeans are good. Yes Dorothy... deer like tofu. All kinds of good treats. Heck, the deer in my yard walk along licking up all the birdseed on the ground too.

Have tried corn, apples, and cabbage. Deer always take the cabbage 1st, apples 2nd, then the corn.

Jack

First off they can find food in only 10 inch of snow or there would be any deer left north of IL.
If you want to feed the deer, once you start you can't stop until spring or spring like conditions are here to stay.
Corn, pumpkins and sunflower seeds are good but if you have any live trees that need cutting this would be the time to do it. If you use seed I believe for at least northern deer the amount is about 3 lbs of seed a day. I believe your deer run a little smaller so you might adjust that amount. They will flock to those freshly downed tree tops and it is natural food. If you had a live Christmas tree put that where they can eat it. It also creates good cover for birds and smaller critters.
You might want to check with your state wildlife people for the best info.

Don't laugh at me guys, but deer love bread. I read this in a post somewhere in here, and bought some old bread at the thrift store. The deer flat are it up.

It was cheap and it disappeared!

I built a feeder at our farm in WV that holds 500 pounds of corn. I alternate what I put in it. One time I'll put corn, then a couple bags of deer pellets, then a mix. We've had as many as 13 deer in the yard at one time. We have a big security light in the yard above the feeder, and those deer put on a show. The does are down right nasty. I guess women are like that...LOL Just kiddin, ladies.

Do not feed the deer!

Deer are extremely resiliant and it takes a few months for them to starve. In KY your snow will be gone in no time and the feed you give the deer will be a waste of time.

This is an unusual year for us-our snow cover has only been here for 3 weeks, but normally we have a 4-5 month snow cover, with 125-200 inches of snow, usually 35-40 inches on the level, with times of below freezing weather for over a month at a time. We have not nut crops, fruit, or farm fields. If our deer can make it over 4 months in these conditions, yours can make it a few weeks until the warm weather comes.

There is probably plenty of browse in your area they can reach, probably things you didn't even know deer ate.

Let nature take it's course.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan-&quot;Snowmobile capital of the world&quot;.

6ptsika, I highly disagree with the feeding of the corn. I'm from Texas and 99% of the people feed corn and wheat. More feed corn than anything! Corn is great feed to bring deer in, but never have I heard that it breaks down their digestive system. They can't digest corn. If that was the case we would have many, many dead deer in Tx. Most people start feeding somewhere between Aug. and Sept. if not all year round.