# Deer eating dog food?



## thmbarry

Anyone know if deer eat dog food. I threw some old food out in the back yard 2 days ago and this morning I had deer tracks all around the yard.My back yard runs into several open acres with a creek.


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## Twenty five ought six

Well, most dry dog food in primarily corn meal, and we all know about deer and corn.


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## arich_5

Our ponies, horses, and donkies will eat it, so I'd say deer probably like it too.


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## eagle-eye

*Fill my feeder*

Well ok then,  maybe if I can find dog food cheaper than corn or soybeans I'll just fill up my feeders with dog food instead!
LOL


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## coolio

*dogfood*

when i was a kid i had a bulldog that i fed straight out of the bag in the garage.  He would eat when he wanted.  One day i approached the open garage with my dog and found a fawn eating out of the bag.  
By the way my dog almost yanked my arm off trying to get that deer.  so the answer is yes.


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## seaweaver

eagle-eye said:


> Well ok then,  maybe if I can find dog food cheaper than corn or soybeans I'll just fill up my feeders with dog food instead!
> LOL


That's what I've been thinking!

cw


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## woodland warrior

don`t know about the deer and dog food but we had a grey fox that we used to feed cat food to and she never left any.


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## win280

If you can keep the dog food completely dry you might be O.K. (slinger type feeder)I don't think it would work very well in a trough or gravity feeder because the humidity and rain would be an issue.I would test a small amount before I filled my feeders.IMO.


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## GA DAWG

You think coons like the other stuff.Just wait till you try using dog food! Want be none left for the deer.


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## dj5play

Would'nt the food itself be too big to pass through a typical corn feeder ? I mean the actual size of the food in those 50lb bads is pretty big.


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## mostrander

No I get small breed dog food for my Jack Russell and it's about the size of corn, I will have to give this a try.


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## Retired Army Guy

Our Tame turkey and chickens eat it.....I have to beat them back they wanna fly in the dogs pens to eat it....then the dogs have chicken.


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## Makin Scents

I have been feeding dogfood to my deer for the past 3 years. It started as an accident when my wife called me and told me to pick up some dogfood for her new puppy. On the way home I glanced at the side of the bag and saw it contained 21% Protein. I turned around and bought 2 more bags and put it in one of my Bump feeders in an empty pasture. A month later my cow paths were replaced with deer tracks.
 The deer benefit from the dogfood because of the higher caloric intake over corn as well as the antioxidents it contains to help prevent disease. These 2 benefits help the deer regenerate after Rut and make it through the harsh winters in WV. If you buy the puppy chow version the pieces are smaller and work well from a plastic feeder. The metal ones condensate and the dogfood turns to mush which is difficult to remove.
 I have drastically improved my herd over the last 3 years and prior to that had fed corn through my feeders for almost 10 years. Last fall I took an impressive main frame 10 point with split G2's and G3's on his right and a 2" kicker on his left base. He P&Y gross scored 183 1/2 and weighed an impressive 235 lbs field dressed. Prior to that my best was a nice 120 class 8 point I took with my muzzle loader.
 I went from spending about $200 every 2 weeks for corn to $60 every 2 weeks on dogfood and had incredible results. Coyotes, Bobcats, and other preditors pay no mind because they are Predators and crave meat. The raccoons on the other hand will need to be delt with. Hope this helps.


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## arich_5

The cheap dog food I've seen is usually $12 for a 50lb bag, so how is that cheaper than corn?


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## Makin Scents

I should have explained this better.  If you feed from a bump feeder you'll see the biggest difference. The deer will eat until they feel full and walk away. Because of the higher contents of Protein, fat, minerals, and water soluability of the dogfood. Remember deer water before they feed( as a rule) therefore the dogfood will expand and fill them faster. If for some reason they feed and then water it expands and they spend more time between feedings.
  If you feed from a feeder you can decrease the amount you are dispensing by 1/2. I eleminated an entire cycle plus reduced the remaining cycle to just 5 seconds on my feeders and my bump feeders last about a month with 80 lbs of dogfood. I was putting 200 lbs every other week out in corn.
The other benefit is I only have to disturb the areas once a month vs 2 with corn. This makes a big difference when you're hunting Trophies.


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## Laman

Boy I can hear it now "but officer I always feed my dog 50 yards from my deer stand"


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## Makin Scents

Not a bad photo. I have about 4 bucks on the wall about the same as your 115's. Here is the difference. See attachment.


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## jwalker

I would like to know more about dog food as deer food. It does seem like a good idea. A bag of ol roy sounds cheaper than deer pellets


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## DeepweR

thats a new one on me. i bet the hogs and yotes will tear it up though. no wonder you have that problem on your lease! jk lol


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## DeepweR

that post was for jwalker.


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## jwalker

deep'we R said:


> thats a new one on me. i bet the hogs and yotes will tear it up though. no wonder you have that problem on your lease! jk lol




You should not discuss our secrete on this wide world inernet 
Now they all know!


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## thegaduck

*Don't*

Feed deer dog food. They chase trucks enough as it is.


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## Auchumpkee Creek Assassin

wild hogs love it


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## Nastytater

I had the opportunity to have the DNR help me drag a deer out of the woods one time just to be questioned on where I was hunting....I guess I told them the right answer,but before they let me go,I had to ask a few of my own....The reason they stated was because someone had put up milk jugs cut open and hanging on the base of trees......With DogFood in them.....Baiting with DogFood....on National forest no doubt.....I asked the officers why DogFood?,and they said that the dogfood was very high in Protein and that the Bucks could benefit from the Antlers with it,but they also said that it was a specific DogFood that worked the best....Not sure what kind,didn't want to push my luck.........


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## Makin Scents

It's puppy food. It averages about 21% protein where adult blends average 14-18%. Anything higher than 15% works very well but >18% is like giving steroids to the Hulk.


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