Do Deer Eat Weed?

You may have heard that deer can eat anything, but do deer eat weed? In this article, we will share insights on deer and your marijuana plants.

Deer can cause a lot of problems for farmers because they eat a lot of things. They usually eat corn, soybeans, fruits, veggies, and nuts, but do deer eat weed? Should marijuana farmers be concerned?

Marijuana plants have a bitter taste and pungent odor. These attributes should naturally keep deer away from your marijuana crops, but the opposite is the reality.

Deer will eat anything, including marijuana plants, when they cannot access the other food they like best.

Even more, they like young plants and shoots, including those of the cannabis plant. Therefore, you must protect against deer at all phases of production.

Effects of eating marijuana

Like other animals, marijuana is not considered an “edible” food for any species. Therefore, it may cause problems for the deer. Although there’s no research on these issues, veterinarians say that animals may become intoxicated. Still, the “highness” they feel is unpleasant and different from what humans feel. Eating a small amount may not cause any issues. However, Vets say that eating a large amount of marijuana may result in symptoms such as pupil dilation, dribbling urine, inability to walk, and low body temperature.

How to identify a deer problem

Deer usually come out into gardens in the middle of the night, when there are no humans out. However, with their growing population, some may also brave the daylight. Nevertheless, you can quickly detect if deer have gone through your gardens through the following signs:

• Deer hoof tracks
• Deer droppings
• Roughly broken twigs with buds, leaves, and seedlings left behind

Keeping deer from your marijuana plants

If left unchecked, deer may ruin the harvest by eating everything. Therefore, you must prevent damage by using measures to keep them away or reduce the damage. These strategies include:

Early implementation

Regardless of what you do, start early. Deer are very persistent and will likely return for a long time to places they have visited in the past in search of food. Therefore, you have to make sure they don’t begin to see your garden as a ripe spot for food, else it would take longer to deter them.

Be consistent

There is no such thing as entirely keeping deer out. Therefore, your strategies may change from time to time, but you have to be patient and dedicated to the task.

Be robust

One deer deterrent strategy is not enough to keep them out. You need to combine at least two techniques or more to keep deer away and prevent damage to your crops.

Fencing

No matter your other deer deterrent measures, consider adding a fence as well. Indeed, fences are not pretty, but they can keep the buck out. You should consider using over eight feet high fence or 2 parallel 4-5 feet tall fences. You can also use an electric fence, but ensure that it is allowed in the area. You should also put up signs, so other people don’t walk into your fence.

In general, when asked questions like – do deer eat weed? Yes, they do, but it can be harmful to their health as well as your weed cultivation. Implement measures early enough to effectively keep deer away from your marijuana farm.