Even the squirrels eat buckeyes only after all other food is exhausted. In our area of Missouri the only thing that picked up the buckeyes in 05 & 06 were the tourists. This year because a late freeze killed off most of the nuts and acorns what few buckeyes we had were eaten by the squirrels before they even had a chance to drop off the tree. I have never seen deer eating buckeyes but I guess if they were hungry enough they might. Prehistoric Indians use crushed buckeyes as a fish poison.
RJ