What Do Wild Turkey’s Eat? They Gobble up Deer Feed

What do wild turkeys eat in the winter months?

Food can be sparse for all forest critters once the snow flies. Deer and Wild Turkeys can be especially hard hit if the snow is deep.

If you want to help feed deer and wild turkeys in Ontario make sure you use a food that will provide them with the nutrition required for our long cold winter. Straight dried corn kernels or cut hay will cause problems due to the lack of moisture. Fresh foliage helps provide the required moisture when eaten but with the lack of leaves in winter deer turn to other browse.

I purchased a Pro Moultrie Feeder with a fifty-gallon hopper. Set to throw a 50/50 mixture of  Feed and dried corn in the morning and late afternoon has deer and turkeys constantly visiting.

I also feed the local gobblers and hens Rack Stacker Feed just by throwing it on the ground. They prefer to scratch for their food. I made a shelf for deep snow but only squirrels seem to prefer that elevated position.

Feed can be easily distributed and is cost effective over a long winter. Use an automated feeder, PVC pipe tube or table to keep the feed dry.

The local Deer and Turkeys make for some awesome viewing, especially when the auto feeder starts to spin. Grouse, squirrels and raccoons all make an appearance some time during the day or night.

By the way, just so you know, it’s illegal in Ontario to hunt wild turkeys where there’s food.  In other words, don’t put out food for them and then hunt them. Good to know!

I installed two Spy-point Pro-X trail cameras close to the feeding area to capture the wildlife events. I even found a six-point shed antler last week.  If you have a chance give the forest critters some help this winter. Make you own wild turkey or deer feeder and keep it filled with Rack Stacker Feed.

Hope that helps when the kids ask “What do wild turkeys eat in the winter” or “what can i feed wild turkey’s?”

About Peter Wood 1194 Articles
As an avid lifelong angler and hunter, Peter’s outdoor knowledge and experiences keep expanding through his hundreds of hours of hunting and fishing podcast interviews with like minded experts. He has received numerous national writing awards. With thousands of outdoor pictures on Ripple Outdoors and many full-length articles with outdoor magazine and video clips you might say that he not only enjoys his outdoor lifestyle, but he’s quite the fanatic! In 2015 he earned fifth overall on the King of the Wood Contest hosted by Canada In The Rough team, pretty good for a baby boomer deer hunter. His buck was also one of the top bucks taken that season. Through Peter’s deer hunting seminars or by attending outdoor trade shows, like the Toronto Sportsmen Show and The SWOC Big Buck Show, he has connected with thousands of like minded people that love hunting and fishing. As a volunteer or member of local and national outdoor groups like QDMA, SWOC, Outdoor Writers of Canada, Archery Trade Show Association he continues to learn and hone his craft. Read his many articles, listen to his podcasts and rifle through thousands of photos on Ripple Outdoors. Discover Peter’s latest posts about outdoor gear, destinations, how to articles and interviews and you’ll be a better angler and hunter for the experience.

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