Whitetail 1. 01: What Do Deer Eat? To the hunter, understanding what deer eat and how they adjust their diets over the year to meet changing nutritional requirements will not only increase your chances of killing a good buck, but also your enjoyment of whitetail hunting. To the landowner or deer manager, it is critical to effectively manage deer for maximum productivity and antler quality. One of the most important woodsman skills is to be able to identify and find the plants and foods deer prefer. When I am in the woods I am constantly assessing the availability of prime deer foods, and how much is being utilized by the deer. Deer are not cows! One of the most common statements I hear about what deer eat is, “Why there is plenty of green stuff for them here, they can’t be starving.” If green made deer food, I could go to the hardware store, buy some green paint and make deer food! Deer and cows represent the opposite end of the spectrum that represents ruminant (those that have a four chambered “stomach”) food habits. Viewed from above, cows have a broad nose and wide tongue they use to eat a wide array of plant species, especially grasses. Their rumen (1st stomach chamber) is very large, holding at least 4. Grasses are the most fibrous and indigestible of plants, yet cows easily digest them. Cattle belong to a group of ruminants we call Roughage Eaters. Whitetails, on the other hand, are classified as Concentrate Selectors. From above, the head of a whitetail is sharply pointed to permit reaching into plants and selecting specific plant parts. Their tongue is long and slender, allowing them to extract succulent stems and leaves. A whitetail rumen holds about 2 gallons (4% of cow’s rumen), and deer must replenish its contents every 3- 4 hours in order to maintain a much less diverse and more specialized rumen flora and fauna. Welcome to Whitetail Food. Welcome to Whitetail Food! This site is dedicated to explaining the diet and food habits of white-tailed deer in detail. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and. Biologist Dave Person of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Photosynthesis - The cycle of plants and how they make energy! The sun(light energy), water, minerals and carbon dioxide are all absorbed by the plant. ![]() Sweetgum isn’t an ideal food source for deer, but they’ll still eat it as a 3rd choice browse plant. What do deer eat preferably? Whitetail foods can be classified as browse (leaves and twigs of woody plants), forbs (weeds), grasses, nuts and fruits and mushrooms. Each of these food items vary in availability, depending on the time of year and climatic conditions. Although every study proves that whitetails prefer forbs over all food types, these plants cannot be depended on to be around when deer need them. Forbs generally are more digestible and nutrient rich. Freezing temperatures and extended dry periods prevent the growth of weeds, so they are an ephemeral food supply at best. The real mainstay food item of deer is browse. Browse plants can be shrubs or young trees within reach of deer. ![]() Browse plants will always be available in one form or another, no matter what the weather conditions. Even though browse plants can lose their leaves during drought or cold weather, their stems and twigs remain reasonably nutritious; unlike weeds that simply disappear. Acorns, nuts and fruits are generally called mast. They supply high- energy sources during times of thermal stress or rapid body and antler growth. Fruits such as grapes, blackberries, mulberry and plums are used by deer as a high- energy source rich in carbohydrates during antler growth. In fact, digestible energy is the limiting factor for a healthy deer herd. Other soft fruits such as apples and pears provided needed energy in the fall, when deer are storing fat for the winter. The two most important nuts are acorns and chestnuts, but each of these supplies a very different nutritional need. Acorns are high in fat and carbohydrates, but low in protein, while chestnuts are high in protein and carbohydrates. Deer prefer chestnuts to acorns because chestnuts are lower in tannins, which inhibit digestion. Grasses rarely are a preferred food item of whitetails, except during the early growth stages when the grass shoots are more digestible. Cereal grains, such as oats, wheat and rye are highly preferred. However, cereal grains have been selectively bred for about 5,0. Lastly, mushrooms are the most over- looked delicacy for what deer eat. ![]() ![]() ![]() Mushrooms supply the second most important element, Phosphorus, as well as protein. You would be surprised how many pounds of mushrooms per acre are produced naturally, even in drier climates. Locating concentrations of mushrooms can help you hone in on prime feeding areas. Poison ivy is a favorite food of deer. Unlike humans, most animals don’t have negative interactions with the plant. What do deer eat seasonally? Whitetails begin the year in early spring, trying to regain weight lost during the fall rut and ensuing winter. That’s when forbs really come into play! They are highly digestible and high in energy, vital minerals and antioxidants. Since phosphorus is in high demand for antler growth and growing fawns, mushrooms become a true prize. As spring winds down and summer begins, deer shift to browse plants, particularly the 1st choice plants. Mid and late summer sees a shift in what deer eat to 2nd choice browse plants and early fruits, such as grapes and berries. As fall approaches, whitetails must find and consume large quantities of carbohydrate rich foods such as acorns, chestnuts, apples and pears. Nuts and mushrooms are high in phosphorus, which is needed to replace what is taken from a buck’s flat bones (ribs and skull) for antler mineralization. What do deer eat regionally? Wildlife biologists classify browse plants into three categories: 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. In each geographic area, there are browse plant species representing these three classifications, and knowing the 1st choice plants will allow you locate prime deer feeding areas. It is interesting that some browse species may be a 1st choice in one geographic area and 2nd choice in another. Dogwood is considered a 1st choice plant in eastern Canada, but 2nd choice in the southeastern U. S. In general, the best browse plants are those that have an indeterminate growth pattern; meaning they tend to remain somewhat evergreen and put on new growth when rainfall and temperature conditions permit. ![]() ![]() ![]() These usually are vining plants such as Japanese honeysuckle, green brier, blackberry and Alabama supplejack. Less preferred browse plants tend be determinant plants that limit new growth to spring and early summer. ![]() ![]() After that, these plants are less digestible. Sumac is generally a 2nd choice browse plant for deer. What do deer prefer in my area? Most state game agencies, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and agricultural universities have publications available on the preferred whitetail food plants in your state. The Quality Deer Management Association offers a poster highlighting preferred species. However, the best way to learn browse plants is to obtain a plant identification book with color photographs, then go to your favorite deer woods and just wonder around looking for signs of browsing. You can tell the difference between deer and rabbit browsing by the fact that deer (having no upper front teeth) pinch off leaves and shoots, while rabbits have sharp incisors and leave a characteristic, angled clean cut on the twig. It will not take you long to find the species that tend to be heavily browsed and those that are not. Here’s a simplified guide of what deer eat based on preference for where you live. Eastern Canada. 1st choice: beaked hazel, white cedar, ground hemlock. Northeastern United States. Southeastern United States. Japanese honeysuckle, Alabama supplejack. American beautyberry, dogwood. Central United States. Saskatoon serviceberry, bearberry. Southern United States/Mexico. Gardening with deer presents a unique set of challenges. Those of us familiar with the battle know how difficult it can be to have a beautiful garden in deer territory. The furry buggers seem to know exactly which plants are our favorites, don’t they? Over the last twenty years I’ve tended over 4. I’ve learned a lot about the ups and downs of gardening with deer in that time. Today, I’d like to share all of the things I’ve learned and present a four step plan for building gorgeous, nearly deer proof gardens. Tactics for deer proof gardens. As the white- tailed deer population in the east and the mule deer population in the west expand, and suburbia continues to encroach on their territory, deer have become more and more problematic for gardeners. Each herd eats differently, so gardening with deer requires patience and experimentation. But most of all, it requires a willingness to be flexible in your plant choices and deer management techniques. In other words, what works for Jane may not work for Joe. The key for me has been employing a combination of all four of the tactics I list below and being vigilant about noting which ones are the most effective against each different herd. If something stops working, I’m always willing to tweak my deer management strategy until I find something that does. That being said, even in areas of heavy deer browse (like my front yard), my diligence has paid off. Though I find deer foot prints and droppings in my gardens almost every day, because of these four tactics, their feeding damage is almost nonexistent and the result is a series of beautiful, deer proof gardens. Deer damage is so disheartening. But, keeping Bambi out of the garden is as simple as employing these four tactics. Tactic 1: Choose deer resistant garden plants. This step may seem like a no- brainer, but I’m constantly surprised by the number of gardeners who complain about the deer eating their hosta. For Pete’s sake, if the deer eat your hosta and you’re not happy about it, replace the hosta with plants resistant to deer. There are lots of choices out there, I promise. Your first line of defense against deer is always smart plant selection. If you garden with deer, DO NOT put a plant in your garden unless it has one of the following traits: Fuzzy or hairy foliage: Before buying a plant to include in your garden, rub the foliage against your cheek. If you feel small hairs on the leaves – whether bristly or soft – it’s probably a good plant choice for deer proof gardens. Deer don’t like fuzzy or hairy textures against their tongues. Deer- resistant garden plants in this category include lambs ear (Stachys), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla), Siberian bugloss (Brunnera), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), tuberous begonias, heliotrope, yarrow (Achillea), Ageratum, poppies, purple top vervain (Verbena bonariensis), and many others. Though some deer learn to eat around the thorns of rose canes to nibble off the leaves, they generally avoid plants with spines on the leaves themselves. In this category are bear’s breeches (Acanthus), globe thistle (Echinops), Cardoon, and sea hollies (Eryngium), among others. If something smells distasteful, they’re less likely to dive in for a taste. Plants with very aromatic foliage confuse Bambi’s olfactory system and discourage feeding, making them the perfect addition to deer proof gardens. Many flowering herbs, including sage, thyme, lavender, and oregano, fit in this group. Other plants resistant to deer with fragrant foliage are catmint (Nepeta), hyssop (Agastache), Artemisia, Russian sage (Perovskia), boxwood (Buxus), Salvias, tansy (Tanacetum), bee balm (Monarda), mountain mint (Pycnanthemum), dead nettle (Lamium), blue mist shrub (Caryopteris), dill, lantana, and calamint (Calamintha). Fawns learn which plants to avoid from their mothers – or from their upset tummies. All ferns contain compounds that deer can’t tolerate, so do false indigo (Baptisia), bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos/Dicentra), daffodils, Helleborus, monkshood (Aconitum), spurges (Euphorbia), and poppies (Papaver). Use caution, though, because some of these plants are also toxic to humans and pets who might sample a bite. Leathery or fibrous foliage: Plants with leaves that are tough to digest are also typically avoided by deer. Pachysandra is in this category, as are most irises, wax and dragonwing begonias, elephant ears (Colocasia and Alocasia), peonies, and some viburnums (including leatherleaf and arrowwood). Grasses: Deer much prefer to eat forbs (flowering plants) and woody plant shoots over grasses, though a small percentage of a deer’s diet consists of young, succulent grasses. White- tailed deer cannot survive on grasses alone, and they’ll mostly consume even young grasses as a last resort. Because of this, ornamental grasses are a great plant choice for deer proof gardens. Tactic 2: Put up the right kind of garden deer fence. The second step in creating deer proof gardens is realizing when fencing is in order. The only way to truly keep deer from eating your plants is to fence them out, a task easier said than done. Putting up a proper deer fence is an expensive proposition, and when it’s finished, it may feel like you’ve fenced yourself in, instead of fencing the deer out. Deer can jump over an eight- foot- tall fence lickety- split, so if you’re going to put up a fence, make sure it’s at least that tall. The most effective deer fencing takes height, strength, and placement into consideration. Here are some of my most useful observations when it comes to fencing deer out of the garden: Stockade fences work better than those the deer can see through. Deer do not like to jump over something unless they can see what’s on the other side, so stockade fences don’t have to be as tall as other fences. The six- foot- tall stockade fence we have around the side of our house works great; the deer will readily jump over our split rail fence but they won’t jump over the stockade. Sometimes the best fence is no fence at all. If you’ve been to a public zoo lately, you may notice that some facilities now separate the giraffes, zebras, cattle, and gazelles from us humans with a wide border of large, irregularly shaped rocks, instead of with a fence. This is because hooved animals like these won’t walk over unstable, rocky areas. Deer are the same. Creating a six- to eight- foot wide border of these kinds of large rocks around an area will keep deer from entering. The rock bed needs to be wide enough to prevent the deer from leaping over it. Cattle guards are also quite useful for preventing deer from entering properties via unfenced driveways or roadways. Go electric. Electric fences are another useful way to keep deer out of the garden, though not all municipalities allow them. Before installing an electric fence, check your local zoning laws. You can hire a specialty company to install one or do it yourself, just be sure to follow all installation instructions carefully to prevent any hazardous conditions. Electric deer fences can be solar powered or plug- in; either way, you have to regularly maintain the fence line to make sure weeds and other plants don’t come in contact with the fence and render it ineffective. Electric deer fences deliver quite a shock (ask me, I know!), so be very careful when working around them and avoid using them if you have small children. They aren’t for everyone, but they are a very effective way to have deer proof gardens, especially if the fence is properly installed and maintained. Use caution when working around them. Double fence layers work like a charm. Deer do not like to jump into enclosed spaces where they feel trapped. Because of this, a double fence can be an effective tool to prevent deer damage in the garden. Surround the exterior of your yard or garden with a four- to five- foot tall picket fence, then erect a second fence of the same height about five feet inside of the first one. The inner fence layer can be made of boxwire, chicken wire, wire lines, or another less expensive material, if you want to save some money. Deer have lousy depth perception and won’t try to jump over both fences at once. Use “invisible” deer netting. Probably the most common deer fencing type, black mesh deer netting fastened to wooden 4x. It must be at least eight feet tall to keep the deer from jumping over it. And, for the first few months after putting the fence up, tie colorful strings or streamers to the fence to keep the deer from accidentally running through it if they get spooked. Fence individual plants. If you don’t want to fence your whole garden, fence individual plants instead. I have a few non- deer- resistant plants that I just can’t bear to part with. So, rather than replacing them, I just keep a layer of deer/bird netting over them at all times. My Hinoki cypress, for example, is constantly surrounded by deer netting. I also have a hydrangea that belonged to my grandmother that’s always under the protection of deer netting. I save this method for the most- treasured plants in my deer proof gardens. More often than not, after I ask the person a few questions about how they’re using these products, I come to learn that the failure of the product is due to human error, not the product itself. Consistency is key to the effectiveness of deer repellents. Don’t skip an application! There are many, many effective deer repellents and deterrents on the market, but how well they work is almost completely dependent on how they are used. If you want these products to yield anything close to the great results I get, you absolutely have to be religious about using them. You cannot go out to the garden and spray them once and be done with it. I set a weekly reminder on my cell phone so I can stay on top of applying deer repellent. And, keep in mind, I’m only applying it to a select few plants I grow that are not naturally deer- resistant.
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