With almost a foot of snow on the ground, and it being December, I think its time to get out the snow camo and sneak up a trail, but just so I know what to look for... what to deer eat this time of year when snow covers up the acorns and such?

Browse, corn and beans if they can get to it.

Any thing they can when it's cold and snow is on the ground they have to eat every few hours to keep warm.

SnowCones!!!!!  

(Sorry,I just couldn't resist)

Actually,they will eat anything that fills thier bellies. Can't be too choosey when your cold AND hungry!!!!!

They have been eating the cedar and pine browse and anything else they can find.

They will dig down thru the snow and eat any acorns that may be left. Then they are stuck with regular browse. If they start eating hemlock and cedar this early in the winter it's going to be a long one for them. If you are a homeowner near where they live kiss your shrubs goodbye.

I have seen them eat lots of blackberry an wild rasberry leaves an dead leaves if they can dig down to them. Bob

I saw three Firday night out in my neighbors yard digging down to the grass.

Deer can smell acorns and other food under quite a few inches of snow

They DON'T eat the yellow snow! They are digging in the apple orchards and turnip fields where I'm hunting tonight. I hope they feed before quitting time!

If you have a scrub mulberry tree or something like that, chainsaw it down and watch the deer go to work on the tips of the branches and so forth.

They eat the cedar trees by us, as well as bed in the cedars.

Rhododendrons leaves and buds. Once there is a bunch of snow on the ground, I find deer in the Rhodie thickets.

Deer are browsers by nature, so if there is enough browse within their reach, they are good to go.  I saw some this afternoon in the neighbor's corn field, digging for missed ears.

Around here when the snow is on the ground honey suckkle, and honey locust pods are productive!

I've seen deer picking through manure during hard winters with heavy crust on the snow.

I cut down a 15ft.h!
hemlock one year, two days later it was half eaten!

Like George D said, they browse. That means they eat the tender ends of twigs and any remaining leaves that cling. They will supplement with crop residue, mast and grasses that they paw up if the ice is not too thick.

I pay the farmer adjacent to my place to leave 1/4 acre or so of standing corn. They clean it up fast if the weather gets ugly, like an ice storm. I don't hunt this spot, it is a give back for all the hunting pleasure the game provides.

Browse.If you can find some honeysuckle they will be all over it.

They were still in the alfalfa, bean fields tonight.