Do deer eat hay

tomtlb66

Senior Member
I have a bale of hay and was wondering do deer eat it? I was thinking about putting it out around a new stand. Any suggestions?
 

leemckinney

Senior Member
They will eat it when food sources are low. Ask any of the farmers in the Midwest.
 

tomtlb66

Senior Member
thanks, I have a bale and the food where I hunt is pretty much gone. I was thinking about throwing it out for them
 

j_seph

Senior Member
Northern Zone or Southern zone
 

caw caw

Senior Member
i've seen the guides on those canadian deer hunting shows feeding bales of alfalfa and the deer pile into their "bait site".
 

Core Lokt

Senior Member
i've seen the guides on those canadian deer hunting shows feeding bales of alfalfa and the deer pile into their "bait site".

Totally different between there and Ga as far as food sources during the winter. I'd bet they wouldn't eat it in Ga. There is food out there for them to eat still.
 

2redheads

Senior Member
Totally agree with Core Lokt. I keep a round bale of alfa alfa mix in the back yard for the horses and the deer don't come near it. So I would so no in GA because they have other food sources. If their other food sources went away then you might have a different story on your hands.
 

Dirtroad Johnson

Senior Member
I have 2 hay fields on my property & have hay bales out there every year at some time during the year. There are bales out there now but I have never witnessed a deer standing there eating so I would say no (not in this area) but up North I would say yes where they have hard winters. I see deer crossing thru the fields & browsing on the edges but never eating the hay. I have passed by hay fields on other properties all thru the years & have seen a lot of deer but never saw any attracted to the hay bales.
 

dtala

Senior Member
deer usually won't eat native Ga/Al hay

they will eat alfalfa hay, I've fed hundreds of bales of alfalfa to deer over the years.
 

satchmo

Moderator
Northern Zone or Southern zone

I don't think it would matter. The deer in the northern zone and southern zone are pretty much the same.
I have heard of deer eating alfalfa hay in some horse farm areas, but have never seen it myself.
I put some alfalfa hay out on a garden (our control deer spot, check trail cams, see what they like better, etc). Out of 2000 plus pictures this is the most intrest any deer showed the alfalfa hay. They walked around it, sniffed it but thats it. So no is my answer. If they got it all the time it might be different. We still have a great acrorn crop that deer are feeding on here. I have corn at that same camera now and they are walking around it to get to the white oaks on the ground.
 

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j_seph

Senior Member
I don't think it would matter. The deer in the northern zone and southern zone are pretty much the same.
I have heard of deer eating alfalfa hay in some horse farm areas, but have never seen it myself.
I put some alfalfa hay out on a garden (our control deer spot, check trail cams, see what they like better, etc). Out of 2000 plus pictures this is the most intrest any deer showed the alfalfa hay. They walked around it, sniffed it but thats it. So no is my answer. If they got it all the time it might be different. We still have a great acrorn crop that deer are feeding on here. I have corn at that same camera now and they are walking around it to get to the white oaks on the ground.
Put hay out at stand and hunt it in northern zone your likely to get a ticket
 

shakey gizzard

Senior Member
"Hay" is a relative term! Cover the ground with 2ft of snow and I bet they eat it reguardless.
 
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dtala

Senior Member
this is the hay feeder I used, I added a bottom to it to catch spilled hay and prevent loss. Added some corn to the bottom, and left it all year. Use changed from season to season. Late summer drought saw heavy use , also late winter before green up.
100_1770.jpg
 

j the g

Senior Member
Ive seen them in a circle around a hay roll eating one year when we had snow in late Dec. Dawson Co.
 

albridges

Senior Member
this is the hay feeder I used, I added a bottom to it to catch spilled hay and prevent loss. Added some corn to the bottom, and left it all year. Use changed from season to season. Late summer drought saw heavy use , also late winter before green up.
100_1770.jpg

Is that for deer or livestock?
 

j_seph

Senior Member
Of course you will , it's bait.
The o/p was asking if deer eat hay. This has nothing to do with baiting.

He did say he was thinking about putting it out next to a new stand. There was an article several years back in gon about raking the ground of leaves in an area you can't get equipment to and then spreading hay in it. This would put seeds on the ground and hold moisture in to start an out of the way foodplot. There were some who got tickets for spread hay. I could have said yes they will eat it in hard times but unless your in the southern zone you could get a ticket. Had OP said northern zone then I would have suggested that it would be considered bait if he intended on hunting that new stand.
 

dtala

Senior Member
Is that for deer or livestock?

there is no livestock on that property so I'd guess it must be for the deer:huh:but then I'm not very smart. Or does feeding deer alfalfa make em livestock. Not sure where yer going with this.....

the hay holder is actually a goat hay feeder bolted to the 6x6s instead of using the metal legs. Cost of the hay holder was around $115, add the tin and wood.

you'd really like my supplemental feed feeder.....:bounce::bounce:
 

dtala

Senior Member
supplemental feed feeder....

100_1775.jpg


concrete slab, 6x6 posts, steel trusses, and metal roof. Feeder is a modified cattle creep feeder with trays added. It holds six tons of feed. Just hook the tractor up, tow it to the bin and shoot er full, back in place filled up in under an hour by one person.
 
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