feeding

Hi Tolley,

We have used apple pulp for some years. It's cheap (often for free) and it's high energy. The deer go mad for it. Although any winter feed that the deer have not had some access to before may take some time to get used to. Any sudden change in diet is liable to upset the digestive system somewhat.

Also one of our Scottish members also pointed out a couple of weeks ago that, once started, then feeding needs to be continued as some deer will become reliant on it, and just stand around waiting for it instead of foraging for themselves.

It has been suggested that the gut bacteria takes a little time to adjust to a new diet, and that some deer have actually starved to death with a full belly!!! .... Sounds feasible?

Hope this helps,

Regards

Mike
(Jelen Deer Services)
 
anyone put any feed down in this sort of weather for deer if so what do you use

last year i bought two bags of molasses/hay mix for the deer.
£17 for the two bags not cheap, its a horse favourite
well i put them out in the snow not to draw deer in but to help them.

they never touched the stuff lol...
money down the drain but i would do it again for them.
i believe firmly that we should help them but only as a supplement and not a shooting lure
as previously mentioned by another member be careful not to get them too reliant on your feeding them they can get lazy.

atb mate frank
 
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Don't worry too much, the ones round here like my pheasant feeders!!

If anyone is feeding big bales of hay outside, and the deer are hungry, you soon get a visit. I know people who use kibbled maize and others who use carrots and one who buys up the stuff thats looking tatty from the local greengrocer. I think familiarity with the food source is, as previously stated, essential. Like putting out salt licks, it takes them a while to get used to them and to try it. We used apple pulp one year, and nothing touched it, they still keep hitting the feeders though!!

ft
 
Silage from the first week in November right through until the first grass.

Close on 100 stags and hinds when the weather turns bad.
 
Roe deer wont normally come to feed unless they are desperate and i mean desperate then they like the rich licks with molassis in if you place it on a large rock tree stump or other object that is already in there area then they are more likly to go to it than if you leave it in a plastic bucket like they do for sheep and cattle
 
Usually use sheep pellets and or chopped carrots, try scattering them about in areas you usually see them foraging.
Seems to work ok.
Also easy to carry with you.
 
last year i bought two bags of molasses/hay mix for the deer.
£17 for the two bags not cheap, its a horse favourite
well i put them out in the snow not to draw deer in but to help them.

they never touched the stuff lol...
money down the drain but i would do it again for them.
i believe firmly that we should help them but only as a supplement and not a shooting lure
as previously mentioned by another member be careful not to get them too reliant on your feeding them they can get lazy.

atb mate frank

I agree. I get too easily frustrated when I go along a local footpath which cuts through a small woodland (c.100 acres) and I come accross salt licks and molasses cakes strangely positioned along one of the only straight lines to a high seat. Haven't seen them this year yet. May go for a walk just to get myself worked up now that the cold weather is here!

DC
 
I agree. I get too easily frustrated when I go along a local footpath which cuts through a small woodland (c.100 acres) and I come accross salt licks and molasses cakes strangely positioned along one of the only straight lines to a high seat. Haven't seen them this year yet. May go for a walk just to get myself worked up now that the cold weather is here!

DC


MOVE EM

hat on...
 
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