It’s a hassle storing the deer feed. People often wonder which is the appropriate way to store them. As the main bait of deer, people mostly want to store corn for a long time.
Unfortunately, most hunters don’t know how to store corn properly.
So, how to store deer corn?
Deer corn needs to be stored either in a metal barrel or a refrigerator. The best way to store a large amount of deer corn is in a metal barrel. To store corn in a metal barrel you’ve to first unhusk corn. Then you need to bag them in an airtight plastic bag and keep them in the barrel.
This is just a summary of the whole procedure. To learn the whole procedure thoroughly, just keep reading this article.
2 Ways You Can Store Deer Corn
People often suggest various methods to store deer corn. Some of them scarcely seem to be working.
But for now, we’ll just go through the two most effective methods for storing deer corn.
Way 1: In a Metal Barrel
There are different larger sizes of metal barrels. And there you can store 20 bags to 100 bags of corn. That’s why storing in a metal barrel is considered the most effective.
With this method, it’s possible to store deer corn for up to five years effectively. So, let’s go through the step-by-step procedure.
Step 1: Remove Husk
When keeping corn in a metal barrel, it is ideal to store it after it has been unhusked. Because if anyhow moisture enters the barrel, then the husk can start parishing. Moisture can make husk perishable.
So, make sure before storing corn in a metal barrel you’ve unhusked it.
Step 2: Pack Into Airtight Plastic Bag
Air transformation in the corn can cause fungus. That’s why you need to store corn in an airtight plastic bag.
You might be curious about why should corn be stored in a plastic bag. This is for the sake of keeping it perfectly moist. Plastic bags can hold moisture better than other bags.
After putting corn into the bag, remove air from the bag as much as possible. Tie the bag mouth tightly with rope. Make sure any external oxygen can’t enter into it.
Step 3: Store Into a Metal Barrel
After packing corn in the plastic bag perfectly, you need to keep them in a metal barrel. There are different-sized metal barrels available.
According to the amount of corn, you can use up to 75-gallon metal barrels. For your convenience, we’ve got a gallon capacity table below.
| Barrel Size | Capacity |
| 50 Gallon | 20 bags |
| 55 Gallon | 22 bags |
| 60 Gallon | 24 bags |
| 65 Gallon | 26 bags |
| 70 Gallon | 28 bags |
| 75 Gallon | 30 bags |
Storing corn according to the barrel capacity is the best practice to store it for the long-term.
One more thing you must keep in mind, keep the barrel in a cool and dry place.
Step 4: Put Insecticide Into The Barrel
Next, you can spread some powder insecticide in the barrel. Especially when you want to store corn for the long term, insecticide is a must.
It’ll keep the weevils away from it. Weevils can damage corn very quickly.
Step 5: Cover With A Airtight Lid
When you’re done with all 4 procedures above, then you need to cover the barrel. The barrel needs to be covered perfectly with a metal lid.
There should not be any scope to enter any insect, air, and water.
If you complete all five steps correctly, it can be stored for up to five years. Keeping corn sweeter is important because it can draw deer effectively.
Way 2: In a Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a good place to store a small amount of corn for no longer than 12 months. It’s possible to store up to 5 bags of corn in the refrigerator if you store them in a proper way.
Let’s see what are the appropriate procedures to store corn in a refrigerator.
Step 1: Keep With Husk
In the refrigerator there is a high possibility for corn to lose moisture. To keep corn moisturized in the fridge, husk helps it.
So, don’t unhusk corn before storing it in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Pack In an Airtight Plastic Bag
It’s very necessary to store corn in an airtight bag. It’ll lock the corn moisture which is very necessary. Because if corn loses its moisture then deer don’t want to eat them.
In this step, you need to lock the bag very tightly. And before locking the bag try to eliminate air from the bag as much as possible.
Remember, if any external air enters the bag, corn can lose its usability.
Step 3: Keep In the Coolest Part of the Refrigerator
Ater packing corn in an airtight bag, it’s time to store them in the refrigerator. Store the bags in the coolest place in the refrigerator.
If you have a secondary refrigerator that you hardly need to open then it’s better to store corn in that.
This is all you need to do to store corn in a refrigerator.
However, sometimes perfect storing can keep corn good longer than your expectation.
Is Stored Corn Bad For Deer?
Corn actually doesn’t have any good nutritional value for deer. And if you store corn that can sometimes become bad for deer.
One of the main reasons behind that is the bacterial attack in the corn. The Xanthomonas vasicola is a bacteria that attacks corn for storage. This bacteria can be very health hazardous for deer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How Do You Store Dry Corn Long-Term?
You can store dry corn in an airtight container. Flour is naturally made from dry corn. It has a storage life of up to 20 years. Corn, however, must be stored in an airtight container to last this long. The container should then be kept in a cool area.
How Can You Tell If Corn Is Still Good?
By observing the appearance and aroma you can easily tell whether corn is still good or not. Good corn will smell as it generally does. There will be no visible mold on the corn. You won’t see any power texture on corn. If it smells bad and appears with mold then you can say it’s gone bad.
Is It Better To Store Corn With Or Without Husk?
If you store corn in the refrigerator then it’s better to store it with husk. On the other hand, if you store corn in a metal barrel or dry corn, then it’s better to store it without a husk. It’ll keep it good for the long term. So, both with and without a husk are good from a different perspective.
Conclusion
Well, we’re expecting now you know how to store deer corn. By following the described method you can store deer corn for a longer period.
Remember, corn always needs to be stored in an airtight bag. Otherwise, you won’t get your expected result.
Now it’s up to you which method you’ll apply.
Stay Blessed!
