Has any-one ever used pumpkins for a food plot? My brother in law says the deer eat the whole pumpkin. I am looking for something I can plant that will last well into the fall. I have beets and turnips along with brasicas for the summer and the deer love it. Let me know what you think, Thanks.

I have heard that deer eat pumpkins, especially after a frost, but I have never had any problems with deer in my pumpkins. I suspect it is something that some deer learn how to eat, and others do not. Winter rye is a great choice for late fall food plots in WI, and it will provide food in the early spring as well.

There is a guy who runs a farm in my area and he dumps pumpkins, corn and potatoes on the mountain under the guise as Ag Waste and then drives around in his truck all day from bait pile to bait pile. (he's a big $ guy from Texas and considers that hunting) I have seen the deer eating at the pumpkin seeds and inside the shell but most just layed there and rotted.

I grew about an acre of pumpkins the last few years. It was for a fundraiser. In the summer and fall, deer might eat 2-5 pumpkins a week (I had around 400-500 plants, each plant had 3-5 pumpkins). Once there was snow on the ground, they would eat anything they could find.

Don't bother trying to plant pumpkins for a food plot.