Sorghum is a versatile, warm-season grass cultivated for its grain, forage, or syrup. Deer preference is highly variable, depending on the variety planted and its stage of growth. The plant’s use by wildlife ranges from being a highly sought-after food source to a protective barrier. Understanding the differences between the main types of sorghum and their chemical makeup is necessary for predicting how deer will react to its presence.
Deer Preference Based on Sorghum Variety
The sorghum family is separated into two categories: grain sorghum and forage sorghum. Deer utilize each type differently based on what they offer. Grain sorghum, also known as milo, is primarily grown for its seed heads, which deer eagerly consume late in the season. Deer typically avoid the leaves and stalks during the summer, but they target the mature seed head as it ripens, providing a carbohydrate-rich food source in the late fall and winter.
Forage or sweet sorghum varieties are grown for the entire plant’s biomass, often being taller and thicker than milo. These varieties generally contain a higher concentration of sugars in the stalks and leaves, making the whole plant more palatable to deer, especially when young and tender. While the stalks are appealing for browsing, the true draw of grain sorghum remains the concentrated energy found in the fully developed seed. Deer often begin utilizing grain sorghum once the seed has reached the “dough stage,” where it is soft and digestible.
Chemical and Maturity Factors Affecting Palatability
The plant’s chemical composition and progression through its life cycle determine whether a deer finds sorghum appealing. Many varieties of mature grain sorghum contain higher levels of tannins, bitter compounds that deter browsing animals. This elevated tannin content is often intentionally bred into some varieties, sometimes called bird-resistant sorghum, to protect the developing grain.
Palatability increases significantly after the first hard frost, as chilling temperatures reduce these defensive tannin levels. Sorghum plants are most tender and easiest to digest when they are young seedlings. As the plant ages, it undergoes lignification—a process where the stalk becomes woody and fibrous—which reduces its nutritional value and appeal. When preferred food sources are scarce, deer will consume less-preferred sorghum varieties out of necessity, showing that preference is relative to available options.
Sorghum Use in Wildlife Habitat Management
Sorghum plays a dual role in habitat management, serving as both a strategic food source and a component of habitat structure. Planting forage or sweet sorghum in food plots provides a dense, high-energy food source that deer can browse, particularly in the late summer and early fall. The dense growth of both grain and forage sorghum varieties provides excellent thermal and escape cover for deer and other wildlife.
The tall, thick stalks of mature sorghum stand well into the winter months, offering bedding areas and protection from harsh weather and predators when other natural cover has died back. Land managers also utilize the height of certain sorghum varieties to create visual screening. This screening shields food plots or travel corridors from view, offering deer a greater sense of security and encouraging them to utilize the area during daylight hours. Sorghum’s ability to remain standing and hold its grain throughout the fall and winter makes it a valuable resource for sustaining wildlife.