It’s been a few weeks now, but not a single deer has eaten from your corn pile. You just can’t seem to figure out what exactly you’re doing wrong?
Almost every hunter faces this kind of issue once in a while. And we know how stressful it can be when you’re unable to find out why it’s happening.
So, what could be the possible reasons behind deer not eating corn?
It could be that your corn has gone bad or has pesticides in them. Again, if the acorns have fallen, or if there are other agricultural crops around in sufficient amounts, the deer might avoid your corn. Another possibility is that putting the corn in a pile makes the deer suspicious of it.
Now that a little bit of the mystery has been uncovered, I’m sure you want to know about it in detail.
Below, we’ve discussed the issue elaborately to help you figure out what you’re missing. So keep scrolling!
Why are Deers Not Eating Your Corn?
You’ve always heard that corn is devoured by deer and it’s impossible that they’ll resist a pile of corn.
But reality says something different, doesn’t it? You’ve been waiting and waiting. But the corn remains untouched.
What reason could possibly be behind this mysterious issue? How is it that not a single deer is coming for your alluring corn pile?
Well, I’m here to get you out of this confusing situation and point out the possible mistakes you could be making.
Can’t wait? Then keep reading!
Spoiled or Pesticide Treated Corn
It’s possible that your corn has gone bad or has been treated with pesticides. This could be repelling the deer instead of attracting them.
The corn has to be as fresh as possible for deer to get attracted to it. If you’ve bought your corn from a feed store, then it’s best to use it within a month of purchase. Check if the corn has become moldy.
Also, if you’re not using a feeder and keeping the corn out in the open, your corn is likely to get spoiled by rainwater.
After ensuring all these, if you still find deer not having your corn, there’s a chance that the corn is treated with pesticides.
Deer tend to avoid all sorts of chemically treated feed. So make sure that your corn is free of pesticides and other chemicals.
Available Acorns and Other Crops
There is no doubt that deer love to have corn. However, if the acorns have fallen, it’s possible that the deer will not pay attention to your corn.
Deer like to feed themselves naturally and they are big fans of acorns. So when acorns drop, around Autumn, they get busy picking them up.
Also, throughout the summer and autumn, there’s usually no food crisis. When there are agricultural fields around, like soybean fields, etc, they might not be interested in your corn.
So if there are other food sources, especially protein sources and acorns nearby, the deer will mostly be feeding themselves off those.
In that case, you can use feed attractants or code blue doe estrous to attract and lure the deer to your corn. Here are some of the best deer feed attractants currently available in the market:
| Image | Product Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Wildgame Innovations Persimmon Crush Attractant | Check on Amazon |
  | Whitetail Institute Apple Obsession Granular Deer Attractant | Check on Amazon |
Placement of Corn and Feeder
When it comes to deer being attracted to your bait, the placement of your feed matters. As well as the feeder needs to be taken into consideration.
Deer are wary of feeding out in the open in broad daylight. If your feeder is placed in the general area of your hunting site, the deer might be reluctant to feed on your corn.
But that’s not the only thing here. Putting your corn in a pile can make the deer sense danger. The trick is to scatter the corn around the feeder or place them in a line to lure them to your feeder.
But what should be the placement of your feeder to make more and more deer visit your corn?
Deer feel more comfortable in shaded areas. So you can try hanging your feeder by a tree, in a shaded place surrounded by trees and plants.
That way, the deer will feel more secure and you will eventually find more deer feeding on your corn.
Change of Environment
Whenever there is a change in the environment, it takes time for deer to adjust to it.
For example, if the deer haven’t previously been fed on corn, then at first they’ll be wary of it and avoid it.
Again, if you’ve changed your feeder to a different one, the deer might not come close to it for a few days.
In such situations, you need to wait for a few days for the deer to adjust to the changes and feel comfortable. You can, however, make a sweet feed or use feed attractants to make the process quicker.
After some days you’ll find the deer coming around and feeding on your corn.
That’s all!
FAQs
What do deer feed on during the winter?
During the winter, deer mostly feed on tree barks, shoots, flower buds, etc.
What do deer like to eat the most?
Deer love to eat hickory nuts, pecans, beechnut acorns, acorns, and fruits like apples, blackberries, persimmons, blueberries, etc.
Why don’t deer eat grass?
Although most ruminants depend on grass for survival, deer don’t eat grass. That’s because it’s harder for deer to digest grass and it’s quite low in crude protein.
Final Thoughts
We’re finally done with our discussion regarding deer not eating corn. We’ve kept our promise on explaining the issue in detail, haven’t we?
Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll be able to figure out the reason behind deer avoiding your corn and apply the ways we’ve mentioned to fix the situation.
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