Do Deer Like Carrots?

[rsimms]

Do deer like carrots? Watch and learn (at least in this situation).

 

[backyardtndeer]

Don't know that the situation you present there is the optimal for testing if they will eat carrots. I have never tried, but had been told before that deer do in fact like carrots. May also be an area thing where it is not a normal source for them. Deer around my farm didn't care for brassicas, but they hammer them in other places.

 

[MickThompson]

I had them mow the carrot tops off down level with my clover in the garden a couple years ago

 

[rsimms]

Don't know that the situation you present there is the optimal for testing if they will eat carrots. I have never tried, but had been told before that deer do in fact like carrots. May also be an area thing where it is not a normal source for them. Deer around my farm didn't care for brassicas, but they hammer them in other places.

Yea, that's why I specified "in this situation." Carrots actually hadn't been hanging there more than three or four hours. Obviously they were covered with my scent. Still fun to watch. I'll be leaving them for a while to see if anything ever "takes a nip."
And sure Mick, I know deer will definitely eat carrot tops. Plenty of examples out there of that. But in a normal environment the actual carrots are underground. So I was curious if given the chance, they'd eat the actual carrot. We'll see... maybe?

 

[backyardtndeer]

Yea, that's why I specified "in this situation." Carrots actually hadn't been hanging there more than three or four hours. Obviously they were covered with my scent. Still fun to watch. I'll be leaving them for a while to see if anything ever "takes a nip."
And sure Mick, I know deer will definitely eat carrot tops. Plenty of examples out there of that. But in a normal environment the actual carrots are underground. So I was curious if given the chance, they'd eat the actual carrot. We'll see... maybe?

I have heard and also read that deer will pull them up and eat them. I have planted all kinds of stuff for deer but never tried carrots. They wouldn't touch the purple top turnips I planted for them, they rotted in the ground every time I tried them.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I had the exact same experience....one year I planted way too many carrots in our garden....so I dumped half a bucket full on the ground around a trophy rock....got plenty of pics of deer using the trophy rock....zero evidence that one carrot was eaten...they laid there until they rotted....I was honestly surprised.

 

[RUGER]

Well I got that one wrong.

 

[Smo]

Don't be surprised if they eat the carrots..

A Friend of mine told me the love sweet potato's too..