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Feeding the Deer

Started by thecfarm, March 16, 2012, 09:55:35 AM

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thecfarm

I've been feeding the deer about 100 feet from the house for about 10 years now. I just feed them the cheapest sweet grain and old bread from the bread store for $1 a tray.I was feeding them grain twice a day. Kinda around 4pm,only grain,just before it got dark and than when the dog is in for the night I would go back down with more grain and feed them the bread. This year when I go down to feed them I say very loudly,You out there, and they will come out. Most times they are in the small fir just waiting for me. Last night they was on the other side of the woods road and I could not see them with the flash light,no shiny eyes. I hollered to them and they came out.As I put the bread out I am talking to them. I usually put out at least 2 loaves,if I have plenty I put out 4. I put out about 5 pounds of grain per night. Most we're seen this year is 10. Have seen 14 at one time. Years ago when times were good and I had money,I would keep the grain steady down there for them. Could look out just about anytime and see 3-6 deer. If none there would be in about 15-20 minutes. They get pretty close to me now at night. I put the big light on and go feed them. I can see them as I fill the OWB and they don't even care. We was going somewheres one day,just about dark, and my dog is outside and we are ready to go. I hollered Boo-Boo out front,but no dog. I opened up the window out back and saw 2 deer and hollered Boo-Boo, a bunch of times. The deer picked up thier heads,said that ain't me and kept on eating. Now when I talk to them the big topic is how much longer they will come to eat. All the others years they just stop coming. There will be grain and bread from the night before still there in the morning. That tells me they don't need the food anymore. When I'm up in the bog cutting I will cut down a ceder tree for them. I go up to the house with a twitch of fire wood,work it up and about ½-1 hour I go back. The deer are eating on the ceder boughs. I have shut off the tractor and got off and stand there and watch them. I never bother them so they know the sound of the chainsaw and tractor is food to them.
I forgot to mention that I walk along and just put down a slice every couple feet first,than I go back and throw down the grain. A loaf will go about 50-70 feet,I put down 2 rows. When I get back to the grain bucket,the deer are all ready eating the bread. Sometimes they will blow at me and ran. Kinda scary to 4-8 deer running away when it's dark.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Autocar

That would be very enjoyable doing that,I didn't realize they would eat bread  ;).
Bill

thecfarm

When my stepson had his game cameras up I would haul a cedar tree up where we was feeding them. He claimed they go after the ceder first then the bread,than the grain. He did not buy grain this year so I feed them just up by the house. He wanted to try to get the bucks to come, so I was feeding them down by the wood yard. He felt the bucks would not come up close to the house,which is probably true.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

bedway

Animals, any kind are very relaxing to me. Years ago when i had a very stressful job and worked long hours i would come home whipped. Use to stand and just enjoy watching the deer grazing in the field. Nothing more relaxing than standing there grooming a horse,the peace an tranquility. I was out puttering on my mill one day. Heard a noise in my shop, and i was the only one around. Walked over and went in the front door, out the back door went a black bear who weighed about 400 pounds. I live next to a national forest so theres critters around here all the time.

chevytaHOE5674

Don't have deer here in the winter as they yard up and move mile and miles away. I just wish they would stay gone all year long  :D

Chuck White

It's illegal to feed them here!  :-\

About 5-6 years ago, deer feeding was outlawed!

Before that, we fed deer in our back yard, bucks included.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

DouginUtah

I asked if it was okay to feed bread to horses and was told NO.  However, it is okay to feed bread to buffalo.
-Doug
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There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

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MHineman

  A horse's gut is different.  Buffalo, deer, goats, cattle are all ruminants.  They seem to do OK with bread, but probably not a good idea to feed too much.
  A horse's gut can get blocked by something like bread and get colic.  If bad enough you can lose the horse.
1999 WM LT40, 40 hp 4WD tractor, homemade forks, grapple, Walenstein FX90 skidding winch, Stihl 460 039 saws,  homebuilt kiln, ......

SwampDonkey

The reason they don't allow deer feeding here is concentrating the deer can harbor disease and also they get dependent on it. They can also cause car accidents on roads. This being a mild winter deer sure don't need fed. I almost think the game wardens in Maine say to not feed the deer as they advertise it on TV. I know it's nice to have the deer around, for some, but I'd sooner see them deep in the woods. They are an invasive species to NB. Just tell'n ya my thoughts, no need of pretending. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

WDH

It is cool that they respond to your voice.  Now I know what you did with that 50# sack of grits that I sent you  :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Larry

Kathy started feeding them about four years ago.  Just a few would show up but they musta told the rest of the deer family and every day there would be a few more.  Of course Kathy started feeding in two places with even more corn.  I looked out one morning and there was Kathy feeding 28 deer.

She decided 28 was a few too many, so cut way back and only feeds during the worst of winter.  There are 4 - 6 that are regular freeloaders.  She also talks to them.  I'm not sure if they talk back. 

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

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thecfarm

Swampdonkey,I know all that.  ;) I know the wardens and the state say not to feed the der but I'm not asking them if I can feed them.I'm on a dirt dead end road too. Just like I said I expect them to stop any day. Guess they don't depend on me much when it's warm out. They are going to gather in one place no matter what.Might just as well be 100 feet behind my house or 2000 feet. Not like I'm feeding 200 of them,only about 14 at one time.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

I won't say anything further because the issue is not my issue. I also know is about more than deer feeding and car accidents. It's probably related to deer hunting in some way to. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

My stepson been hunting here for 2 years pretty hard,but has been up here for 10 years. NEVER even shot at one yet. Guess my feeding them has alot to do with hunting.  ::) Once he came up when we had about 2 inches of snow that fell in the night,walked criss cross out in the woods,never saw a track. Cover probably a good 2 miles square from what he told me.not a track. You have the idea just like the state of Maine does.Lots of good reading out there.  ;D I can understand how others may do it and for certain reasons too. But doubt I am doing much bad to 14 deer. That last sentence caused all of the above in your last post.  ;)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

He just didn't happen to see one, but he was hunting. If the opportunity presented itself, well there we have it. ;) I have to agree with the people managing the wildlife even though we have our own biases about what's good and bad. I abide by the regulations instead or asserting my own actions in defiance.

Here in NB they let private deer herds slide until someone was killed and now they are cracking down and they have until June to be rid of the deer (moved out of province or slaughter). All those herds are illegal, but never enforced until now. Whether anyone thinks it's all innocent and no harm done, the law has to be followed for the good of the wild deer herd. We can talk all day on whether it's good or bad and get no where. The law is the law and individuals have a say with their votes. Someone has to be delegated "expert" whether an individual agrees or not, it's just part of management. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

chain

Wish my s-i-l and c-farm were neighbors just to see them competing for "most deer" to feed. Where she's located the only folks thrilled about the deer-feeding is the feed store. I can't mention hunting anymore to her; but the best thing about the 'hands-on' feeding it gives her great pleasure and a sense of giving and caring...husbandry, I think it is called.

But the crisis may be waning, she's begun senior citizen dancing twice a week...but now my wife is worried about her older sister bringing in some old geezer and she'll have to feed him!  :D

thecfarm

I only buy so much grain a week. I feed them about 5 pounds of grain a day. When times were better I fed them more. Did not see them tonight,but the food was gone this morning. Petty soon they will be done feeding for the year. Took them a while to come to the food this winter. I put it out and none came. Finally one or two came for a few weeks and than some more showed up. A real easy winter for them.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

chain

I can certainly undertand the need for game-feeding where snow and ice covers the ground for weeks at a time. Quail-feeding  would be one of my pet projects to help carry them through the hard late winter months. No quail to feed now.

But I also feed many deer unintentionally through soybean crops we raise. According to game-cameras and eye witness we fed approximately sixty deer last summer. Not only do they love soybeans to eat, they also love to lounge and play and fight and bed-down in late summer soybeans, quite damaging I can attest.

I'm going to try certain remedies this summer, the last thing I want to do is shoot them, but here in this State supposedly, we cannot even harrass the deer purposely.  :-\

Chuck White

Here, lots of people will put out large round bales of hay for the deer to feed on throughout the winter.

As soon as the ground starts to bare up, the deer won't usually feed on hay any longer, they'll eat the grass shoots.

Deer will come to corn anytime of the year.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

sandhills

I know I've told this story here before but can't remember where, we had a late march blizzard a few years back right when we started calving that gave us a nice little 3' or so of snow.  It lasted a few days and I walked our treeline a lot looking for cows and newborns, there were 7 deer in there and at first they would take off into the field when they saw me coming, belly deep, by the third day they just got out of the way and watched me walk on by  ;D.  They also came up in the yard around our feeding bin and ate everything we spilled if the turkeys didn't have it cleaned up, probably not legal but I always "spilled" a little extra for them, by day three they were hungry.

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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