Corn is a highly attractive food source for wildlife due to its dense concentration of easily digestible carbohydrates. This high-calorie reward provides the necessary energy for animals, especially when natural forage is scarce, such as during the late fall and winter months. Because corn is cultivated in large, accessible fields, it represents a significant and predictable food subsidy, drawing a variety of species from surrounding habitats. Dealing with wildlife consumption is a universal challenge wherever the crop is grown.
Identifying the Primary Culprits
Mammals and birds are the most common culprits, ranging from small rodents to large herbivores, all drawn by corn’s caloric density. Medium-sized omnivores, like the raccoon, are notoriously drawn to the sweet, milky kernels inside the developing husk. Raccoons are particularly attracted to the reproductive stage of the plant due to the high sugar content and ease of access.
Larger mammals, such as the white-tailed deer, browse on corn plants throughout the growing season. Deer are generalist feeders, consuming leaves, stalks, and the ears themselves, often focusing on resources available at the field edges. Small rodents like squirrels and chipmunks target corn primarily for the starch-rich kernels they can cache for later consumption. Certain birds, including crows and wild turkeys, also contribute to damage, relying on opportunistic feeding habits to access the grain.
Distinguishing Damage Patterns
Identifying the responsible animal requires close inspection of the damaged plant and the surrounding area. Deer lack upper incisors, so their feeding leaves stalks and leaves with a ragged or torn appearance, as if the plant was yanked rather than cleanly bitten. When deer feed on the ears, they scrape the kernels off the cob using their lower teeth, sometimes leaving behind a telescoping husk where the protective layers have been pulled back.
Raccoon damage is more destructive, often involving stalks broken over or pulled down as the animal climbs to reach the ear. A key sign is the presence of stripped husks and cobs that may be smeared with mud, indicating the raccoon handled the ear with its paws. In contrast, small rodents like squirrels often leave behind a scattering of chewed-off kernels after eating only the nutrient-rich heart of the seed. Bird damage, particularly from crows, involves punctured or pecked kernels, giving the cob a distinct “exploded” look. The stalks themselves are rarely knocked down by birds.
Timing of Consumption
The vulnerability of the corn plant changes as it matures, with different animals targeting specific growth stages. Early in the season, during the seed and seedling stages, the plant is susceptible to small animals. Squirrels, mice, and birds will dig up the planted seed before or immediately after emergence, searching for the energy-rich embryo.
The vegetative stage, when the plant is actively developing leaves and stalks, is targeted by herbivores like rabbits and deer, who browse the tender shoots. The period of highest vulnerability is the silking (R1) and milk (R3) stages, when the kernels are sweet and full of liquid. Raccoons and bears are highly attracted to this sugary, high-moisture treat during late summer, causing significant yield loss. As the corn dries and reaches the mature or dent stage (R5-R6), it becomes a high-energy, storable food source for animals like deer and squirrels, who feed on the hardened kernels in the fall.
Strategies for Protection
Implementing physical barriers provides the most reliable defense against corn consumption by larger wildlife. An electric fence, constructed with two strands of wire—one positioned 6 inches above the ground and a second strand 12 to 18 inches high—is effective against both deer and raccoons. The lower wire contacts smaller animals, while the higher wire intercepts deer attempting to step over the barrier.
Taste and odor repellents offer a non-lethal defense, particularly useful in smaller gardens or for treating the perimeter of a field. Commercial sprays using putrescent egg solids or capsaicin-based formulas create an offensive taste or smell that deters animals like deer and rabbits from browsing. For ground-level pests, applying predator urine scents can create the illusion of a threat, discouraging foraging activity.
Cultural practices are management techniques that reduce the attractiveness of the crop and the surrounding environment. Planting a sacrificial row of corn or another preferred food source at the field perimeter can redirect animals away from the main crop. Timely harvesting is also effective, as removing the food source immediately after maturity minimizes the window of opportunity for late-season feeding by squirrels and deer.