
Adding nutritional value to the deer diet However, it also makes me think that the different odor offered by the attractant may be enough to bring in the deer that are only marginally interested in the corn. This leads me to believe that, when available, deer prefer apples over corn. I also see similar behavior when certain food plot crops mature as well. When the apples stop producing, the deer return to the feeder more frequently. When those apple trees bear ripe apples, I see more deer at the apple trees than at the feeders. One of the leases I manage has several deer feeders and some apple trees I planted several years ago. For example, deer seem to really like apples and seem to prefer apples over raw corn. While deer like to eat corn, there are times when they seem to gravitate to other sources of food. In most cases, the attractants have a more pungent smell than the corn, so the stronger smell may travel farther, attracting more deer. Since deer primarily use their nose to detect food, most all food-based attractants are built to be aromatic. Here are a couple of reasons that a hunter might want to add an attractant to corn: Stronger smell that may travel farther Why use an Attractant with CornĪt my day job, one question I see being asked by new deer hunters is why use an attractant with corn if deer like to eat corn? Rather than go into depth about why deer have such a keen nose, I covered a great deal of information in this post about the strength and range of a deer’s olfactory senses. Deer use their noses more than any other sense, and their sense of smell is the primary method they use to locate food.

While deer are equipped with the same basic senses that humans have, a deer’s keen sense of smell is its most powerful sense. Because of their ongoing need to feed, deer researchers believe that whitetails spend about 70% of their waking hours searching for food or consuming a food source. How much food? Biologists estimate that the average whitetail consumes an estimated 2000 pounds of food annually. Whitetail deer are predominantly classified as herbivores, although there have been confirmed incidents where they will also feed on small mammals and fish if their preferred food sources are unavailable.įor the most part, whitetail deer are like most other animal species because they require a certain amount of daily food to maintain their health. Understanding How Deer Find Foodīefore we get too far along in this post, it’s essential to understand some basic deer behavior. Also, I’d suggest checking those same regulations in your state about adding an attractant to corn or feed because some states have regulations against using any man made products for supplemental deer feeding. In this article, I will discuss the common questions associated with deer additives for corn and then look at my choices for the ten best corn additives and why they are my favorites.īefore starting any supplemental deer feeding or “baiting” (as it’s sometimes called), it’s vital to check your local or state regulations before to ensure that these types of activities are legal in your area. These days, the question seems to revolve around choosing the best deer attractant to mix with corn? Nice buck feeding at a homemade deer feeder using a mix of corn and Acorn Rage Now, times have changed as there are a plethora of commercially made deer attractors on the market. He would then place piles of those out of date apples at various locations around his deer stands to attract deer.

I had an Uncle who would go by the local grocery stores and buy all the apples that were over ripe.
CORN SPIKE DEER ATTRACTANT HOW TO
Can you discuss how to add flavor to deer corn?.Antler King Roasted Bean Cuisine Deer Attractant.4S Advanced Wildlife Solutions Corn Spike.Redmond Hunt Bomb Attractant (Apple or Cherry).Wildgame Innovations Acorn Rage Deer Attractant.10 Best Deer Attractants to Mix With Corn.Commercial Produced Attractants for Corn.Adding nutritional value to the deer diet.
