What Do Deer Eat, and Should You Feed Them?

Many people know the joy of spotting a deer in the wild, but not many people know about a deer’s diet and routine. So, what do deer eat? And can you feed them and make them the next addition to your animal-loving family?

Here’s what the experts have to say about deer diets, eating habits, and whether humans should play a part in securing a deer’s next meal.

What Do Deer Eat?

Deer are herbivores that browse rather than graze, meaning they eat parts of woody vegetation that are off the ground. This includes:

• Flower buds and blooms

• Bark, twigs, and branches

• Seasonal weeds

• Invasive plants, including multiflora roses

• Landscaping plants, such as hostas

Because they are prey animals and grazers, deer often keep moving as they eat, says Ame Vanorio, founder and executive director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center in Middleton, Wisconsin.

According to Vanorio, deer are extremely adaptable animals, and their diet varies depending on the region. Whether they’re living in an urban area or an arid climate, deer can usually find the nutrients needed to sustain them. 

“The categories [of plants] are the same, but species change,” says James C. Kroll, PhD, professor emeritus of forest wildlife management at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. For example, a deer might eat the leaves from thorny bushes in South Texas and Mexico, he says, but go for the stems of a similar shrub in the Northern U.S.

Should You Feed Deer?

If you’re wondering what to feed deer, the best answer is to let deer feed themselves.

“Unless you are managing deer herds,” Kroll says, “there is no reason to plant for them or feed them to come to your property.”

Luring deer to your property with food is a quick way to see your garden or landscape plants being eaten. “Deer love landscape plants,” Kroll says, and they won’t distinguish between what you put out or plant for them versus what you plant for your own enjoyment.

Vanorio also says that feeding deer can be dangerous for both humans and the deer.

Although a young male deer can be very cute, an adult male deer is much stronger. They may get used to getting their food from a human and could become aggressive when they start to expect it. And if a deer harms a person in their attempt to get food, an organization like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will likely respond with euthanization. 

“What I often tell people—which might be a little bit blunt—is a fed deer is a dead deer,” Vanorio says.

Can You Have a Pet Deer?

As much as some animal-lovers may dream of keeping a deer as a pet, these are animals that should remain wild. Vanorio says it’s even illegal in many states to keep deer unless you have a permit. It’s also not advisable to attempt domesticating a deer, as they may become unhappy or aggressive if kept in captivity.

“Deer are wild animals and there is no need to tame them,” Kroll says. Instead, he recommends observing them from a distance.

The most common deer feeding times are around dawn and dusk, so keep your eyes peeled then. “Many people derive joy from watching their deer year after year, even naming some,” he says.

How To Keep Deer Out of Your Yard

However, if you want to keep deer from treating your garden like a buffet, both Vanorio and  Kroll say a tall barrier is the most effective option. Kroll recommends lightweight polypropylene netting at 6–7 feet high, and Vanorio says a fence that leans inward is even better.

“A deer can jump straight up and go over 6 feet, but a deer cannot jump up and wide in the same jump,” she says.

You can also discourage deer from eating your garden by planting things they don’t prefer, Vanorio says, such as lavender or lamb’s ear. When that’s not an option for you, applying deer repellent to your plants can help, too. 

Deer are also known to snack on food left out for other wild animals. If you’re a bird watcher whose bird feed is getting stolen by deer, try upgrading to a squirrel-proof bird feeder that can also keep deer snacking at bay.