The Deer ate WHAT?!!!

[rutnbuk]

Guys- been feeding the deer behind my house this summer and enjoying seeing them like we all do. But dang I aint never seen anything like this. I have my archery range in the woods close to where I feed them, and have several old 3d "deer"targets laying around. So, the other day I watched one of my regular Doe start eating one of the old targets- I mean chomp chomp and swallow the compressed foam YIKES. I went out there and ran her off and I could see she had been nibbling on others as well. She also ate the edges of one of my old foam stump feeders. I was concerned about her getting sick so I have gathered them all up now. Have any of you ever seen anything like this before? I mean those things have been back there for several years - not sure why this deer-and only this one- would take a liking to an old faded McKenzie deer target. It was not just a bite or two- I mean looks like a beaver got a hold of them. PUZZLED!

 

[antharper]

Sounds like you need to feed that poor thing more

 

[bfriendly]

I’ve heard of them doing something like this before…..still baffling!

 

[ghadarits]

I watched a deer eat almost a hand sized bluegill once when hunting a WMA on Clark’s Hill but, eating a foam target is something else entirely. That is very strange.

 

[crackerdave]

Deer ain't nothing more than pineywood goats that will eat anything.

 

[Baroque Brass]

Especially my modest garden

 

[Duff]

That’s wacko!

 

[Crakajak]

She smelled the salt residue from your hands possibly.

 

[ucfireman]

Wonder of the paint or dye was veritable based. May explain it but I think Dave had it right

 

[GregoryB.]

Never seen a deer do that but my chickens love styrofoam. They have eaten my broadhead targets and insulation board.

 

[huntfish]

I've seen a video of a deer killing and eating a snake.

 

[Gbr5pb]

They eat my block and life size target so I can’t leave them out anymore! Too expensive to be deer feed

 

[rutnbuk]

Thanks for the responses guys- Gbr5pb glad to know I am not alone and yes my block is gonna be under a tarp now. Strange that I have lived here over 20 years, had targets and DEER back there the whole time and this is the first time this problem has occurred. Protect those targets guys! lol

 

[slow motion]

Never seen a deer do that but my chickens love styrofoam. They have eaten my broadhead targets and insulation board.

They will eat a Styrofoam minnow bucket.

 

[Gbr5pb]

Mine only started doing it a couple years ago and have lived here 36 years. Keep a mineral block out don’t think that what they are after

 

[Waddams]

Critters are weird. We have a cat that we can't keep away from chewing plastic. She just likes the texture or consistency or crackly noise a plastic wrapper makes or something. Won't touch kitty treats, loves her dry and wet normal food, will try to steal rice cake and popcorn and pork rinds, and we have to use baby proof locks to keep her our of the garbage.

Your doe has some kind of individual preference she likes about it. Hopefully it breaks down enough to pass through at least and isn't just filling up in her belly causing problems.

 

[Baroque Brass]

I've seen a video of a deer killing and eating a snake.

Years ago I hunted rabbits with an old black man that hated deer because he said they would eat rabbits. If we weren’t finding rabbits he’d say the deer done et em all. A buddy and I still laugh about that. Can’t you just see a deer chasing down a rabbit?

 

[Josh B]

How bout peanut butter flavored decoys? Attract bucks and doe.

 

[Ihunt]

No I haven’t but I watched one eat hickory nuts one time. Wouldn’t have though that was possible

 

[Lukikus2]

Years ago I hunted rabbits with an old black man that hated deer because he said they would eat rabbits. If we weren’t finding rabbits he’d say the deer done et em all. A buddy and I still laugh about that. Can’t you just see a deer chasing down a rabbit?

They eat the newborns out of their nests.