What Do Deer Eat? | Deer Hunting 101 with Wade Middleton

Why Food Sources Drive Deer Hunting

When it comes to consistently finding deer, the answer often begins with one simple truth: find the food, find the deer. Wade Middleton explains how food sources drive deer movement throughout the season. From corn and soybeans to acorns, chestnuts, and even mesquite beans in the South, knowing what deer are eating and when they are eating it is one of the most important keys to hunting success.

Deer are opportunistic feeders that adapt their diet based on season, weather, and availability. Hunters who understand local food sources can predict where deer will travel and when they will show up.

“Find that food and you are going to find the deer,” Wade says. “When acorns drop in Texas, deer flock to them like it is the best steak they have ever had. That same principle applies to crops and browse all across the country.”

Key Food Sources for Whitetail Deer

Agricultural Crops

• Soybeans, corn, and alfalfa provide high-protein nutrition.
• Deer often feed heavily in crop fields until harvest.

Nuts and Mast Crops

• Acorns and chestnuts are seasonal magnets.
• Deer concentrate in oak flats or near mast-producing trees during peak drop.

Natural Browse

• Forbs, grasses, and shrubs fill in nutritional gaps throughout the year.
• Rainfall and weather patterns often determine what browse is available.

Region-Specific Foods

• Mesquite beans in South Texas
• Persimmons in the Southeast
• Apples in northern states

Scouting Feeding Areas

• Use Trail Cameras: Monitor what deer are eating and when they are active.
• Look for Sign: Tracks, nipped buds, or feeding areas under mast trees.
• Pay Attention to Timing: Some food sources last days, others weeks, and some a month or more depending on conditions.
• Stay Flexible: Food availability shifts throughout the season. Move with the deer.

Wade Middleton’s Approach

• Always start by identifying current food sources.
• Watch how weather, rain, and crop harvests change deer movement.
• Adjust stand placement to capitalize on short-term feeding windows.
• Expect deer to sample almost anything but return repeatedly to food that is nutritious and palatable.

Featured Products

• Trail cameras and SD card packs
• OnX Hunt and other hunting apps
• Hunting boots for scouting
• Ground blinds and pop-up stands
• Binoculars for glassing food sources

Available online and in-store at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s

Final Takeaways from Wade Middleton

“Every hunt is different, but it always comes back to food,” Wade says. “Deer are like us — if they like it, they keep coming back. When you identify that seasonal food source, you will find the deer.”

• Focus scouting around crops, nuts, or browse.
• Confirm feeding sign before hanging a stand.
• Be adaptable, as food sources change quickly.
• Remember the golden rule: find the food, find the deer.

Ready to Gear Up?

• 🦌 Shop Wade Middleton’s Whitetail Essentials

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