Do deer eat buckeyes? | Nature's Mace (2024)

FAQs

Do deer eat buckeyes? | Nature's Mace? ›

Buckeyes are poisonous to ruminants like cattle, so deer are not far behind.

The buckeyes and foliage are toxic if ingested and avoided by deer and most insects. Squirrels, however, are big fans and will help you plant more buckeyes throughout the neighborhood.

Despite the poisonous properties to humans and livestock (below), squirrels are known to eat the raw seeds. Native Americans ate roasted seeds as a starchy meal.

Squirrels are said to be the only animal to eat buckeyes without ill effect. All parts of the tree are toxic -- leaves, bark and nuts -- because of compounds that cause muscle weakness, paralysis, intestinal distress and vomiting. But squirrels somehow bypass the results felt by cattle, horses and other animals.

Although buckeye nuts are toxic to all other animals (including humans), squirrels are the only animal capable of eating them without getting sick!

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia, Zones 4–8) is beautiful—and toxic. Deer leave it alone.

Deer prefer chestnuts to acorns because chestnuts are lower in tannins, which inhibit digestion. Grasses rarely are a preferred food item of whitetails, except during the early growth stages when the grass shoots are more digestible. Cereal grains, such as oats, wheat and rye are highly preferred.

The Buckeye's Place in History

As well as the belief in the good fortune of its storied seed, the buckeye has been held to cure rheumatism and other, more minor ailments. Pioneering farm families also made soap from the kernels of buckeye seeds, and many a child's cradle was carved from the wood of this tree.

While gray squirrels and other animals do eat buckeyes, it is never a preferred food. In fact, both the seeds and tender young leaves of the plant are said to be poisonous to humans and livestock alike.

The most toxic chemical in the buckeye are glycosides, especially a saponin called aesculin and a narcotic alkaloid. These toxins are in the entire tree, including the leaves, nuts, bark, and shoots. They are poisonous to dogs and can produce intestinal symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Do rabbits eat buckeyes? ›

The buckeye seeds and sprouts are toxic to small pets like rabbits, dogs, cats, as well as cattle and humans. Buckeye nuts can cause diarrhea, and in severe cases, paralysis and even death.

While squirrels and chipmunks can eat raw buckeyes, they are poisonous to other animals. Native peoples used them to stun fish by throwing mashed up buckeyes into a creek and catching them as they floated to the surface. Buckeyes also provided plentiful backup food if the acorn crop failed.

Removing the shell and roasting the nut neutralizes its harmful tannic acid content and makes for a protein-packed snack. If not prepared properly though, buckeye nuts are toxic to humans, causing symptoms including weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis, and death.

For deer, buckeyes are low on their preferred list of nuts. There are also no clear studies on whether deer can eat buckeyes. In contrast, squirrels eat them and are thought to be the only animals that can eat buckeyes without any effects. Nevertheless, some natives have found deer grazing on buckeye nuts.

If a squirrel hears a deer coming through an area, nine times out of ten, that squirrel will sound a warning and hit the nearest tree.

Fruit and Nut Trees Offer Deer a Steady, Nearly Year-Round Source of Food. There are many benefits to tree food plots making orchards a popular choice for many deer hunters and landowners.

I N S E C T S. Japanese beetle eats the leaves down to the main veins. Leaves at the top and south side of the plant are most often eaten and attacks can be quite sudden. White-marked tussock moth is a fuzzy caterpillar with a yellow body and red head.

Vegetables that deer seem to prefer include beans, lettuce, cabbage, and cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Do not use corn or other fermentable carbohydrates as a primary emergency deer food. Deer are routinely killed this way by people trying to help. Examples below. Deer are browsers and have adapted to eating a wide variety of food sources, but their efficient stomachs require time to adapt to a new food source.

Apple, oak and chestnut trees are favorite food producers for wildlife. Most hunters think acorns are the favorite nut for deer and turkeys. Some studies, though, show deer prefer chestnuts. Chestnuts contain 40% carbohydrates, 10% protein and don't have the bitter tannins of many acorns.