Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I just read on the PGC (Pennsylvania Game Commission) website the following about Whitetail deer. I have never heard this before as I know many people who have feeders out ion the winter and use corn.


WHITE-TAILED DEER

The whitetail, which had virtually disappeared here by 1900, has become a common sight across the state through careful management, including regulated hunting. Male deer, or bucks, shed their antlers yearly and grow a new set each spring. Well nourished females (does) often have twin or triplet fawns every year. In spring and summer, deer eat green plants; in fall and winter they switch to acorns and other nuts, twigs and buds. If fed rich food such as corn in winter, they may get sick and die. Like cattle, deer are ruminants. The whitetail is our State Game Animal


I can't hardly believe this. Does ayone know anything about this?

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I dont think its true. Where did you get that from?

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I told you on the Game Commission website:

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=150720

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

i put out corn in my backyard all year long for the deer, all 4 seasons and no deer have ever died

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I learned about this in my fish and wildlife management class. There have been cases of deer dying of starvation with full bellies. The problem isnt deer are eating foods that are too rich, but rather the opposite, and are gorging themselves on foods they dont get any nutritional value from. Then theydont feel hungry any more, but dont get anything out of it. Kind of like filling our stomachs with water in place of meals for a week straight, then wondering why we dont have any energy.I'm not exactly sure what type of food this would include, maybe hay or something like that, but i would think corn would be nutritional enough for them that if they had a constant supply they would be fine, if not better off than other deer feeding on twigs and whatever they can find. If you find a skeleton in the spring and there is no flesh or obvious signs of death, you can cut a leg bone in half and check out the marrow, i believe if its reddish/pink, then the deer did not die of starvation, but if it is yellow/white, then it did die of starvation. I could be wrong about the marrow thing, but im pretty sure about the food thing. hope this helps

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Thats kind of strange, I put out corn frequently during the winter months and ive never noticed anything like that! That is interesting though, I would like to look into that more!

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I've read this. I think it relates more to feeding starving deer corn. The article where I read it said that it is not good to give starving deer in a deer yard corn to eat. Once they are starved, they can't properly digest the corn.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Feeding them corn really isn't the problem. It is when they are relying solely on corn that is the problem. It would be like one of us eating only toast all day every day. Even if we could eat all the toast we wanted, we still need other nutrients from other foods to survive.

Some people blame people feeding the corn for the deer dying, but I don't think that is case. I think the real problem begins when the deer run out of the other menu items on their diet, and are forced to replace them with only corn. This will happen whena population approaches orexceedscarrying capacity. If that is the case, putting a halt on corn feeding isn't going to solve anything, because the deer will starve anyway. That's nature's way of maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

as long as deer are feeding on other food stuffs--corn in the winter time will not hurt deer.But corn as the only food ingested can cause problems

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

When I saw the title, I fogged up my glasses laughing!!!!

(They're anti-glare glasses, for computer only.)

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Can you elaborate or is that all you got. If you notice it is a question.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

That's seriously not true! I've had the same deer come in 3 years in a row now and thats all i do is put corn out.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

OK this is getting interesting to me. I'm doing some searchers on this topic and most State agencies are advising against deer feeding in the winter months. I'm more for than against this practice because I have a new feeder and camera ready to go, but just thought I'd look into it. Here is what New Jerseysays about it. And here's a link to others.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife strongly encourages New Jerseyans to avoid feeding wildlife during the winter period and throughout the year. Under most conditions winter feeding is of no value in maintaining deer populations during the winter stress period and may be detrimental to both deer and their habitat. Winter feeding concentrates animals, but provides only a portion of their nutritional requirements. The result is increased browsing on preferred native food plants causing a reduction in these food sources and an increased feeding on less nutritious foods. Continued feeding often results in the deterioration of deer range.
Winter deer losses are sometimes increased through feeding by concentrating the animals in a smaller portion of their range than normal. Thus, competition for available food becomes more intense. Fawns may be rebuffed by the strong, more dominant adult animals, and be unable to obtain enough food for maintenance. If food is distributed, it must be spread out over large areas, to allow all of the deer in the herd to feed.
Deer are only able to digest food through a mutually beneficial relationship with the microorganisms in the rumen-reticulem compartment of the stomach. Rapid changes in diet can produce digestive disruptions resulting in death, because the microorganisms are not able to adapt to a sudden change in diet. It is important not to introduce a new food in large quantities to deer. Readily fermentable foods, consumed in large quantity, without adequate microbial adaptation, may result in rumenitis. Emergency feeding often begins too late and fails to prevent deer mortality. The condition of the deer going into the winter is the major factor in determining its ability to survive the winter.

http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=feeding+d eer+in+the+winter


Anyone want to find any info to the contrary. I'm gonna check for positive info on winter deer feeding. Maybe someone wants to lend a hand?

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

As I understand it, feeding corn in winter can be detrimental only if too much is introduced where corn is not in their diet now. I did a resaerch paper on this back in college few (30 or so) years ago and it's only dangerous when deer are fed large quantities of corn when they are starving or close to it and it hasn't been part of their diet up to that point. It's more likely to be of no benefit than a danger and it's only when a large quantityis dumped in say a large tract of hardwoodsduring a bad winter with no agriculture in the area and when the deer are already stressed is it dangerous.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I agree with North Texan. Anything starving can shock thier system by overeating. Anything not in thier natural diet can cause problems, just like it does for us. Most of the time emergency food for deer is hay put out that contains forages from thier area. But to put the blame on corn alone is a little off base. Anything in moderation is ok.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

There are cornfields for hundreds of miles in every direction from where I live. We have a serious deer overpopulation.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I'm just saying, I thought it was hilarious, I couldn't imagine then dying from eating a little corn.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I've read the same, if corn is being farmed nearby it won't hurt them, if you buy bags from a feed store and introduce it to deer that have never eaten it before they won't be able to digest it and get the nutrients.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

DEER EAT TO LIVE NOT LIVE TO EAT. CORN IS A STABLE FOOD SOURCE IN IL. AND CANNOT BE "BAD" IL. HAS ONE OF' IF NOT THE BIGGEST DEER HERDAS OF 2004 IN N.A. AND THE LIVE OFF OF CORN ALONG WITH SOY BEAN AND NUTS BUT CORN IS THE MAIN DIET WHEN AVAIL.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

no way are they going to die from eating corn in moderation .A sudden gluttony maybe but not as a supplement to there normal diet

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Any sudden glutony could kill a deer,IMO, even if they are eating soy beans, apples, wheat, or oats, the result is going to be no less as bad, if not worse,as them eating too much corn.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I suppose if the deer have eaten up alot of the other foods,and the snow gets real deep so they have a hard time finding food on the ground.They should move on,to where there is more food.Instead,some feeders fill them up with corn,till they decide its too cold out,or there is too much snow.Then the deer are stuck.I also think the corn isnt what kills them,but a lack of water to help them digest it.Eating snow takes more energy than its worth.(ever tried it?)I think a corn feeder could be good for them if its kept full all winter and a source of open water is available nearby.Otherwise,there gut is going to be full of dried grain.Try eating beer nuts without anything to drink for just one 24 hr period and see how it feels the next time you make a grunt sculpture!

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

No positive info on feeding corn to whitetails except of course from the folks selling the feed. I gave up looking. I'm still gonna feed in moderation. Besides the deer here are still digging in the corn fields.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

LOL,
I've never heard of that here in Alabama before but I guess anything is possible. We have 4 feeder fields on our property that aren't hunted, to keep deer coming to the property, that are kept full year round with protein, sweet feed and plenty of corn. It may be that the deer are getting more than just corn in those feeders but we've never seen the population fall, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Wow some of you are pretty stobborn. This does happen. Just because you have corn in your area and just because you hanvn't heard of it before doen'st mean it doens't happen.

Deer during the winter after corn field are picked and are mostly gone, start getting into there winter diets. Buds of bushes, trees, accorns again. They start living off the forest again. Their enzymes and digestive systems start to get used to this. Then if they stumble uppon a huge pile of corn in someones back yard or in a feeder and fill there belly's full of corn and there stomach isn't used to digesting it, they can die! It happens! God you think people just make this stuff up fo the heck of it.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I believe there is a fungus thatcorn can get that will harm the deer. I think it is on the rare side but it can happen

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Yes, corn can become 'moldy' in the right conditions, ask anyone who has been around a grain farming operation. And I also belive in the 'overdose' theory.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I agree with Tschammel on this. Up in the Northern states most winter feeding is detrimental to the herd and the land. In most cases if the deer need feeding up here then the land is not capable of suporting them and you are artificially supporting them above the carrying capacity. If this is done it must be done continuously because if it stops then a lot of deer will die. Baiting also tends to group deer together more and facilitates the spread of disease. In NY here it is illegal in any form. Down south where winter kill and carrying capacities are less or not an issue I see less harm done if done correctly.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

corn has no nutritional value... try mixing the corn with some sort of other feed to supplement the deer..

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Are you crazy? Corn has carbohydrates, which should make up 50% or more of the human diet, and it's gotta' be quite important to deer!

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

tschammel,

very well said.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

it has carbohydrates but when that is all you are eating there are no calories for the carbohydrates to store which basically makes it useless. I just bought a bag of wildlife grains from blue seal and the deer were fighting over it. I had to spread it out a bit. I mixed it with corn.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

never heard of such a thing! I and many of my friends feed deer corn year round

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

But, it still does have nutritional value, even if it can't be absorbed.
But, I got your point, it's best to mix all the nutrients together so that they can get nourished.

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

I have no proof that corn has no nutritional value except for my wife say's it to me all the time. She is a health teacher in Jr HS and gets on my case every time I eat corn on the cob. She knows I live corn and always rags on my about eating things that have no nutritional value. I keep telling her that you have to eat like deer to get one and it tastes good!

BTW,

I put that blue seal wildlife grains mixed with the corn and they eat a 5 gallon pail full every night! they are pigs

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

that is a complete lie!! if deer are anything like cattle, they can eat corn year round like cattle do..eating a rich food such as corn should be good for deer. it gives them much more nutrients than twigs and nuts!!! i don't think corn would hurt a deer at all!!!

RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
 

Soooooo, exactly how do you feel about that?:D