Sudden loss of appetite could mean he has an underlying illness. If 24 hours has passed since Fido has refused his last meal, take him to the vet for a check. While you may think canines like variety, they are actually quite happy to eat the same thing for their whole lives. But if he has suddenly started turning his nose up at your offerings, there could be a few simple reasons. Both raccoons and foxes are partial to a good slice of apple too.If your dog has always been a picky eater, you’ve probably had many battles. However, it’s important to remember that apples won’t only attract deer. This works quite well for hunters, especially when you consider how above I said that deer will stay and stuff themselves for as long as possible wherever possible. Sometimes they even slather a bit of peanut butter over the apples because yes, deer love peanut butter too. Hunters have used apples to lure deer into their desired spots for a pretty long time now. I’d go with around a handful of fruit for every square meter. So if you’re laying out a bag of apples, ensure that you spread them far and wide. Once they feel so sick they physically can’t eat anymore they’ll move on but they won’t share. And they’ll start chomping down and they won’t stop – not even when they’re full. If you pile your apples high in one spot, you’ll have one or two bucks come to claim the pile. So you’re going to need to spread your fruit out quite widely. The first thing to know when it comes to laying out apples for deer is that these creatures are very greedy in nature.Įspecially the bucks. How Should I Lay Out A Bag Of Apples For Deer? You just need to make sure that you have really washed your apples before you feed them to the deer.Īs long as you wash away those harmful chemicals, you’re all good to go. Luckily, it’s not too hard to resolve this problem. The issue with the apples in the store is that to keep them nice and fresh for when you take them home, they are grown with preservatives, chemicals, and other harsh substances that aren’t really safe for deer. Apples in the wild are fresh (if they’re not old) and more importantly are organically and naturally grown.

Now, you might be thinking, are all apples not the same? If deer can eat apples in the wild they should be fine with store-bought ones too, right? However, I think we all know the real reason why deer enjoy an old apple or two.ĭid you know that when deer eat fermented old apples it’s the equivalent of you or I doing a couple of shots of vodka? Yep – deer can get drunk from fermented apples! Can I Feed Deer Apples From The Store? In fact, they might actually prefer a slightly older or bruised apple because they tend to be a lot softer and so are easier for them to chew. They’ll eat green or red apples, they’ll eat nice fresh apples and they’ll also eat those pretty old and rancid-looking ones too. On a scavenge they’ll inspect and taste near enough anything.Īnd this goes for apples in all forms too. Do Deer Eat Old Or Gone-Off Apples?Īs I mentioned earlier, deer really aren’t the fussiest of animals. So, if you are planning on feeding deer an apple, then you’ll want to try and cut it up slightly for them so that they can have a more pleasurable experience. They’ll give it their best go, and more often than not, they’ll find a way, but they will struggle. However, it’s not the easiest thing in the world for them to do. I suppose this makes sense, really, since deer definitely don’t have the luxury of utensils such as apple corers or slicers knocking around in the forestry. Pretty impressively, yes, deer can eat an entire apple whole. This could lead to health problems such as acidosis. If a deer were then to consume a lot of apples, the pH change could cause issues to their digestive system. Once the fall says its goodbyes and the trees and bushes are bare, there are no more berries or fruit for the deer to scavenge.īecause of this, their digestive system changes during this season to process the scarcely available food sources such as bark and dry leaves. This is especially the case during the winter period. They’re nice, tasty, and won’t hurt us – but we’d still be pretty hungry if that was all we were eating. Think of it like a packet of chips for you or me. However, it is important to remember that apples are exactly that… a treat. Ready to learn more about deer and apples? Come on then! Are Apples Healthy For Deer?įeeding a deer an apple certainly won’t hurt them and they’ll be thankful for a nice tasty treat. That being said though, there does seem to be something about apples that deer just go crazy for.

Or at least what the forest can provide them. I mean, generally speaking, deer aren’t all that fussy, they tend to take whatever is going. An apple a day will keep the doctor away, but what about deer? Well, believe it or not, deer actually love a good old munch on an apple.

Feedy greedy deer food