Looking to attract more deer to your hunting area? One of the cheapest deer feed options is corn. But that hardly makes corn the best cheap deer feeder food. In fact, there are much better ways to feed wild deer inexpensively, if you feed them at all.
It is, of course, important to note that not all states allow supplemental deer feeding. This is because deer are ruminants with sensitive stomachs and GI tracts. Therefore any change in their dietary habits can result in malnutrition or even death if not introduced properly.
Check here for states where you can and can’t feed deer. Note: we also recommend checking with your local and state government Department of Wildlife, Agriculture, or Environmental Conservation for confirmation.
Assuming that you can feed deer in your state, here are several cheap deer feed options worth considering.
Food Plots
Looking for really cheap feed for deer? Rather than buying it, try growing it by creating a food plot. Planting foods that deer like to eat naturally in the wild — which are plentiful and include browse, mast, and forbs — is an easy and inexpensive way to feed deer in winter months (and all year round for that matter).
Here are 5 helpful steps to creating a food plot:
- Choose a plot location and seed
- Test the soil
- Clear & prep the soil
- Plant & fertilize
- Maintain your plot
The type of plot you choose will vary depending on the season and the area of the country you live in. Outdoor Life recommends these options.
Supplemental Feeding
Food plots work well, but so does supplemental feeding. In fact, depending on what you feed deer, you may have more luck attracting them with this option — especially if you offer items they’re known to love, like fruit.
Just make sure you feed them a nutritionally-balanced diet that keeps in mind the season of the year so you not only attract deer, but also sustain them. Here are some relatively inexpensive supplemental feeding options worth considering:
- Fruit
- Nuts & Acorns
- Corn
- Soy
- Oats
If your herd is already used to eating corn in the winter, it may be a suitable option, otherwise we recommend cutting it with soy, for its protein content, or use other options, like oats and alfalfa.
Attract More Deer With a Tectonic Feeder
It’s not just what you feed your deer that matters. How you feed them is also important. The Tectonic Daytime Deadfall Feeder simulates a natural deadfall log and is timed to train deer to eat during the day instead of the nighttime. Learn more about our Daytime Deadfall Deer Feeder at Tectonic USA today!