Do you have grape vines on your property and deer have been raiding them? Or maybe you want to offer some treats to the deer in your area, and you think grapes would be a good idea? If so, you’re in the right place. Let’s learn more here, including the answer to your question, can deer eat grapes?
So, Can Deer Eat Grapes?
Yes, deer can and will eat grapes. As well as grapes, they’ll eat a grapevine’s leaves and stem.
This is a problem if you have grapevines on your property and there are deer in the area. Let’s take a look at facts about deer and this delicious fruit.
Are Grapes Poisonous to Deer?
No, grapes aren’t poisonous to deer. Grapes are a harmless treat and offer deer a lot of useful sugar.
Deer are herbivores and forage for food, meaning they will search for naturally occurring sources of nutrients in plants. They will eat leaves, grass, and fruit wherever they can find them.
Most of the foods in a deer’s diet, however, aren’t very high in sugar. Grapes, on the other hand, are like candy for deer.
Is it OK to Feed Deer Grapes?
If you have a pet deer, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally offering some grapes to your cervid friend. You shouldn’t do this every day, though, as grapes are too high in sugar to have all the time.
Grapes are a pleasant treat for deer. But if they eat too many grapes, they’ll get sick.
The maximum amount of grapes you can give a captive deer each week is about a cluster of grapes.
Keep in mind that deer don’t think like humans. They will just keep eating and eating, even if they’ve had enough of something.
Is it OK to Feed Wild Deer Grapes?
Most people should refrain from offering food to deer. Unless you’re a hunter growing a food plot for deer or otherwise have deer expertise, leaving food out for deer may actually do more harm than good.
If you ever do offer any food to wild deer, grapes should only be an occasional treat. They contain too much sugar to be a regular food.
Be aware that regularly feeding deer can disrupt their natural foraging patterns. This can ultimately interfere with both their digestive system and the local ecosystem.
Deer not eating what they’re supposed to eat in their natural habitat may throw the balance of their local habitat out of balance. So keep this in mind.
What Should You Not Feed Deer?
Deer are herbivores, which means they only eat plants.
That’s why you shouldn’t give them pet food. Even feeding deer hay isn’t a great idea.
Never feed deer potatoes or corn, as they’re too high in carbohydrates. Other foods they shouldn’t eat include onions, garlic, and other foods that contain too much sulfur.
While it might seem like a reasonable food since deer eat so much grass, Hay is not a good thing to feed deer since it doesn’t contain enough nutrients, but will make them feel full.
If deer are fed hay, they will eat too much without getting the vitamins they need. They’ll feel full. The result is that these deer won’t get the nutrition they need.
What Plants are Toxic to Deer?
Many root vegetables and other fruits and vegetables such as cucumber and rhubarb will make a deer sick. However, they won’t necessarily kill the deer.
Pet food, cattle feed, and hay are not necessarily toxic, but they won’t provide deer with enough nutrients.
Deer can actually starve to death if they’re fed the wrong type of food because they will eat too much and never get the proper nourishment. They have evolved to forage in their natural habitat – eating different vegetation, nuts, and fruits at the appropriate time of year to thrive in their environment.
If you disrupt this annual cycle by feeding the deer bread, carrots, pumpkins, or other foods in your backyard, you’re not doing the deer any favors.
How to Keep Deer from Eating Grapes?
There are several ways to keep deer from eating grapes. The simplest would be to put some fencing around your grapevines, but deer can easily jump over fences, so it would have to be a pretty substantial barrier.
Vineyards that have problems with deer infestation will sometimes surround their vineyards with fishing line. This is usually effective at keeping out deer and other animals.
However, unless you own a vineyard, you probably don’t have the resources to do such a large-scale project, and you probably don’t need to.
You can buy or make homemade deer repellant, or you could invest in a sonic device, which will probably be effective in keeping other animals out as well.
Sonic devices are motion-activated machines that create high-level frequencies that aren’t bothersome to humans but are annoying for animals such as deer that hear at much higher frequencies than we do.
Now You Know: Deer Can Eat Grapes (occasionally)
Deer can eat grapes, and they will eat grapes and grapevines both in the wild and on private property.
It’s okay to feed deer some grapes occasionally, but you shouldn’t do this on a regular basis, as their digestive system is optimized to eat fruit and other foods at certain times of the year, and only those that grow in their local habitat.
