Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

I was curious about this because of the baiting topic. I know you can founder a horse by feeding him too much grain, I also think cattle can be foundered. If this is the case shouldn't there be a limit on how much corn or grain you can give them? As sportsman/ hunters shouldn't we be concerned with the effects of things like this?

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

We'll need to get a Biologist in on this one, but I dont think deer can founder...

I think its only horses that founder cause they have a differen stomach setup than deer/cattle...

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

I have seen cows founder, both hooves will curl. When I have seen this, in most cases it has been on there back feet. Could be somthing elsecauseing it.

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

Yea it can happen to deer to. I actually have a picture of it I found on another site! I heard it was from excessive diet of corn or EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease).

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

Wow, that is interesting!

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

This might add a little insight.

I my self am not really fond of hunting @ active feeders.

That being said, for the last two years I have had the opportunity to hunt some land in TX that had not been hunted at all for 7 years prior.

There are some genuine studs on the property.

Well if you hunt in TX you hunt over corn feeders, it is just a fact of life.

I got to watch many,many deer eat under the feeders and never saw any that ateALL the corn. They will munch for 5-10 minutes and move on.

Bear in mind, this is TX hill country and there is not a cultivated field within 4-5 miles. So these deer are leaving corn on the ground to go eat scrub.

I asked the Texans about this and they said that it was rare that the deer would ever eat all the corn and if they did it was because several different groups would come by during the night and polish it off.

None of them could remember a single deer or group staying under a feeder till all the corn was gone.

Seems to me the feeders on this ranch were throwing maybe 1/2 gallon of corn per cycle.

Surely a group of does and yearling's could eat this much with no problem, they just choose not to.

I looks to me like they know that to much is not good for them.

Maybe one of the trailcamera guys will chime i here and let us know how long it takes for deer to consume a pile of feed

I do know that I have taken deer with their stomachs slap full of green grass, but, Have never got one that was FULL of corn.

Even up in OH i don't remember getting a deer that was full of pure corn.

Maybe one of the farm hunters could help us out.

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

Aside from the fact that deer don't get all the nutrition they need from a diet heavy in corn, baiting causes other problems as I see it. They get reliant on the nice little piles of corn. They don't move as much as they would have to to get a good meal. They don't have to get out and search as much to fill their belly. I'd rather have deer wander byat more hours of the day than to trot into a bait pile at last light. When we bait we get into bad habits... like sitting in the same stands over and over. Deer just don't behave like deer when there's an ice creamtruck at the same corner every day.

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

Very true!

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

Deer do not founder. While the EHD and a foundered hoof wall share some of the same characteristics there is a very large difference. EHD is a severe increase in the corium that grows the hoof covering where as in horses that have foundered the elf shoe effect is from damage sustained by the rotation of the coffin bone within the hoof capsule it self. In trying not to get too technical they arent the same thing. Yet I will agree that bait piles may cause more unforseen adverse effects on deer diet and habits.

hope this helps

Rogue

RE: Does Baiting Deer Founder Them?
 

A little over my head rogue but I'll do some reading to better understand. I gues with the discussion of baiting I started thinking about deer getting lame. Were so concerned of there health but at the same time may be doing things that have an inverse effect. I know that deer usually will move on after there belly is full but over years of continuous feeding do they give in to the easy meal? Just a concern, not saying that this is the way things are. Thanks for the reply's