{"id":838,"date":"2023-01-03T14:27:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T14:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/?p=838"},"modified":"2023-01-17T20:54:03","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T20:54:03","slug":"do-deer-eat-apples-are-there-any-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinggiants.org\/do-deer-eat-apples-are-there-any-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Deer Eat Apples? Are There Any Risks?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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An apple a day will keep the doctor away, but what about deer? Well, believe it or not, deer actually love <\/em>a good old munch on an apple. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, generally speaking, deer aren\u2019t all <\/em>that fussy, they tend to take whatever is going. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or at least what the forest can provide them. That being said though, there does seem to be something about apples that deer just go crazy for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to learn more about deer and apples? Come on then! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Apples Healthy For Deer? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Feeding a deer an apple certainly won\u2019t hurt them and they\u2019ll be thankful for a nice tasty treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is important to remember that apples are exactly that\u2026a treat.<\/a> Think of it like a packet of chips for you or me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re nice, tasty, and won\u2019t hurt us – but we\u2019d still be pretty hungry if that was all <\/em>we were eating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially the case during the winter period. 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, their digestive system changes during this season to process the scarcely available food sources such as bark and dry leaves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a deer were then to consume a lot of apples, the pH change could cause issues to their digestive system. This could lead to health problems such as acidosis<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Deer Eat Apples Whole? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pretty impressively, yes, deer can eat an entire apple whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suppose this makes sense, really, since deer definitely don\u2019t have the luxury of utensils such as apple corers or slicers knocking around in the forestry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s not the easiest <\/em>thing in the world for them to do. They\u2019ll give it their best go, and more often than not, they\u2019ll find a way, but they will struggle. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you are planning on feeding deer an apple, then you\u2019ll want to try and cut it up slightly <\/em>for them so that they can have a more pleasurable experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Deer Eat Old Or Gone-Off Apples?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned earlier, deer really aren\u2019t the fussiest of animals. On a scavenge they\u2019ll inspect and taste near enough anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this goes for apples in all forms too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ll eat green or red apples, they\u2019ll eat nice fresh apples and they\u2019ll also eat those pretty old and rancid-looking ones too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, they might actually prefer <\/em>a slightly older or bruised apple because they tend to be a lot softer and so are easier for them to chew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I think we all know the real <\/em>reason why deer enjoy an old apple or two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that when deer eat fermented old apples it\u2019s the equivalent of you or I doing a couple of shots of vodka? Yep – <\/em>deer can get drunk from fermented apples! <\/em>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Feed Deer Apples From The Store?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not exactly. Apples in the wild are fresh (if they\u2019re not old)<\/em> and more importantly are organically and naturally grown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t really safe for deer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, it\u2019s not too hard to resolve this problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You just need to make sure that you have really <\/em>washed your apples before you feed them to the deer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As long as you wash away those harmful chemicals, you\u2019re all good to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Should I Lay Out A Bag Of Apples For Deer? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first thing to know when it comes to laying out apples for deer is that these creatures are very greedy <\/em>in nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially the bucks. So you\u2019re going to need to spread your fruit out quite widely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you pile your apples high in one spot, you\u2019ll have one or two bucks come to claim the pile. And they\u2019ll start chomping down and they won\u2019t stop – not even when they\u2019re full. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they feel so sick they physically can\u2019t eat anymore they\u2019ll move on but they won\u2019t share. What greedy goblins! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re laying out a bag of apples, ensure that you spread them far and wide. I\u2019d go with around a handful of fruit for every square meter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attracting Deer With Apples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hunters have used apples to lure deer into their desired spots for a pretty long time now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes they even slather a bit of peanut butter over the apples because yes, deer love peanut butter too. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s important to remember that apples won\u2019t only <\/em>attract deer. Both raccoons and foxes are partial to a good slice of apple too. <\/p>\n\n\n

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More Deer Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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