I was watching a YouTube video from the hunting public the other day and they shot a buck eating what they called duck potato so I looked it up and it looks like it grows in North Carolina also, but I can't remember paying attention to it as a deer food and Iwas wondering what food sources are out there that we don't realize that deer eat sometimes that we should be taken advantage of?
What are some unusual food sources You've shot deer over?
- Thread starter Lawnscaper
- Start date
Deer belly acorns. Several years ago on Jordon Lake Gamelands, I shot a doe on Monday of black powder season. I field dressed her where she fell and drug her out. I had planned on hunting somewhere else on Saturday when gun season opened, but work prevented scouting for that place. I had left a Lock-on stand where i shot the doe, so i went back there. Mid-morning, a heavy 6 pointer approached, but stopped and started feeding.. After waiting a while, I shot him. I went to retrieve him, stopping to see what he had been feeding on. It was a half gallon sized pile of acorns that been in the stomach of the doe I had shot earlier.
Familyman
Twelve Pointer
I bow-killed a buck once that was picking up newly-fallen maple leaves. That's not really unusual...maple leaves are certainly on "the list"...but I had never sought them out to hunt as a food source. In fact, I honestly hadn't given a moment's thought to the fact maple leaves were falling in there...just got lucky. At first I thought he was just picking up acorns.
georgeeebuck
Ten Pointer
Hunted a thick mountain top with a dairy farm down at the bottom it had an open silage pit covered with black plastic. Killed a bunch of deer full of silage , usually late in the season.
JoeH
Six Pointer
That’s it, you win the prize!
Wildlifer
Old Mossy Horns
Apple flavored corn. No, I didn’t put it out but really how weird is that? Take corn that deer already eat and make it taste and smell like apples which deer already eat.
it human terms it’s like hey man I got you this steak but it taste like chicken.
it human terms it’s like hey man I got you this steak but it taste like chicken.
appmtnhntr
Twelve Pointer
The blue berries off gum trees when it gets really really cold up here and the acorns are gone.
Find a gum tree dropping fruit and you’ll find deer in December.
Find a gum tree dropping fruit and you’ll find deer in December.
Nothing real unusual...Shot a doe eating shrooms off a log before.
I was eating a can of sardines one time when I killed one. 
Downeast
Twelve Pointer
And I took a fish plate from the local VFD to my stand one day. Does that count?
30/06
Twelve Pointer
Didn't shoot one on this trip but in Canada I saw deer feeding on white moss or lichens, the top of this rock ridge was covered in it. You'd see a deer walk by looking like santa clause when it had a mouthful of moss.
Homebrewale
Old Mossy Horns
I was eating a can of sardines one time when I killed one.
Try eating deer jerky while killing a deer.
french fries from a dumpster behind a mom and pop restaurant ..we used to see deer regularly eating from that dumpster on our way to the management area.
georgeeebuck
Ten Pointer
Yep. Seen the same thing. Also seen them eat freezed dried poke berries off of dried up poke plants in a clearcut late in the season, everyone knows they love to eat the leaves off poke but never noticed them eat the berries early while the plants are green and growing.
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Homebrewale
Old Mossy Horns
Not a strange food but deer love pelletized horse feed.
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bowhuntingrook
Old Mossy Horns
I've seen them snatch these up with there tongue as they walk to acorns and never even slow down, if I remember the leaves were yellow, just fallen. As fast as she was walking I don't know if she decided on it's palatibility by sight or smell, seemed she already knew that yellow one was gonna taste good.
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georgeeebuck
Ten Pointer
Yep, seen them eat more yellow fallen leaves than any other color. Why, I don't know. Maple and popular .
they absolutely love to eat honey locust beans, they'll get hit by cars standing in the road where the beans fall. If you could find a stand of those I'll bet that would be a hot stand for bow season.
Hunting Nut
Old Mossy Horns
At the time I found this odd because of the sheer number of deer traffic.
I set up a bow stand according to fresh tracks and travel along a couple trails where they converged.
I ended up taking 3 mature does while they were eating the red berries dropping off of one big Dogwood tree. Like 2 weeks I killed 3 big does. I watched several more deer eat under that tree. It was a magnet. No corn there, no mineral lick, nothing. All those deer were eating the berries and traveling through there to check that tree.
I set up a bow stand according to fresh tracks and travel along a couple trails where they converged.
I ended up taking 3 mature does while they were eating the red berries dropping off of one big Dogwood tree. Like 2 weeks I killed 3 big does. I watched several more deer eat under that tree. It was a magnet. No corn there, no mineral lick, nothing. All those deer were eating the berries and traveling through there to check that tree.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
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wannabemountainman
Button Buck
I wasn’t specifically hunting it as a food source, but I have killed a couple deer that were eating on fallen sycamore leaves.