Corn is attractive to deer, there is no doubt about it, especially so during the winter when high-energy carbohydrates are needed most. Also, you can generally get corn seed that was leftover from the previous year for free.

Corn is a likely consideration. Corn is attractive to deer, there is no doubt about it, especially so during the winter when high-energy carbohydrates are needed most. Also, you can generally get corn seed that was leftover from the previous year for free from conservation clubs and even from the seed companies directly. Free is good!

But, when corn is the only agricultural food available, or when deer numbers get high, the herd will begin to eat the green stalks and leaves of corn during the summer time. This stunts or otherwise negates the plant. Once this cycle starts it will soon become habit and the deer will gain a taste for the plants. If the problem gets bad enough, and believe me I’ve seen this happen, there will not be a single stalk by late summer that is capable of producing an ear.

It is hard to beat corn as a fall and winter attractant in areas that receive enough rainfall to support the large plant. However, corn is not a cheap crop to plant because of its high need for nitrogen – an expensive fertilizer.

You may be thinking that corn would then be a good summertime food. Well, if you eat Twinkies and Ho-Hos at lunchtime then I guess you are right. But, if you believe people (and deer) should actually benefit from what they eat, summertime corn is not a good food source. It is deer candy, junk food that’s high in sweets and low in protein. Yet, despite the negatives, corn is a strong winter attractor and can improve your late season hunting. It has to be considered if your hunting area has a moderate to low deer density and is already rich in other agricultural food sources. For that reason, we’ll keep it on the list of possible choices.