Deer Ecology 101

[lovemylegacy]

In reference to food preference, WTD have been shown to eat, I believe, over 300 different trees, shrubs, forbs and grasses. They are selective at times depending on season and availability. Some foods they eat are more desired such as hackberry, cedar elm and sumac. These are commonly referred to as "ice cream" plants. Easy to get, taste good, but not a lot of nutrition in them as compared to most forbs, legumes and other brush.

Oaks are typically utilized for mast (acorns) production and not leaf browsing. Yes, they do eat them, but many other plants are higher preferred. Oaks can have high concentrations of tannins in them. That can be good and bad. Too much can cause sickness and even death. Just enough has been proven to be almost like a natural wormer/insecticide.

Very little Elm and Cedar where I hunt in Newton Cty, but, lots of Oak tree stumps that sprout. If its a Willow Oak, deer eat the regrowth on the stump on a regular basis.
I thought they had to be starving to eat Cedar. I would have never considered it a browse plant. Would a Ironwood tree be considered an Elm?

[Top Of Texas]

Very little Elm and Cedar where I hunt in Newton Cty, but, lots of Oak tree stumps that sprout. If its a Willow Oak, deer eat the regrowth on the stump on a regular basis.
I thought they had to be starving to eat Cedar. I would have never considered it a browse plant. Would a Ironwood tree be considered an Elm?

A cedar elm is a type of elm tree. All elms I know of are good for deer browse. However, cedar (eastern red cedar, ash juniper, redberry juniper) is terrible for browse, as you said "must be starving".

Oak browse quality is variable, dependent on species and growth stage. None of the oaks, that I know of, are bad browse, they're just not first choice.

[James]

Great thread

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Ok, all caught up, now on to more info....

Since there seems to be a good interest in deer foods, lets continue on there. Deer are selective feeders, meaning that they eat a huge variety of things. They don't just sit in one area eating the same thing every day like a cow does grass in a field. Typically you will see deer feeding along and almost always moving while doing so. They get a little bite here, and one there. That is why most people like to use seed varieties in food plots for greater utilization. Simply put, deer like to eat a lot of different things. A lot of it is based on what is available in a given area and time of year.

Deer are also curious animals when it comes to food items. That's why a lot of the fly-by-night feed attractants seem to work. Deer see/smell something different, they take a look and see what's up. Most of the ones in my experience that are used repeatedly are the sweet style attractants. Everybody like something sweet now and then. I always laugh at the marketing on these items when they are telling of the scents and smells that deer go crazy for. Do you really think a deer in central Texas has any idea what an apple is? Or an orange? Nope, just something they smell is sweet and not a threat to them....

[dauphlp]

Great thread Hawkpuppy 1

[super_dave]

In for knowledgeables

[lovemylegacy]

Ok, all caught up, now on to more info....

Since there seems to be a good interest in deer foods, lets continue on there. Deer are selective feeders, meaning that they eat a huge variety of things. They don't just sit in one area eating the same thing every day like a cow does grass in a field. Typically you will see deer feeding along and almost always moving while doing so. They get a little bite here, and one there. That is why most people like to use seed varieties in food plots for greater utilization. Simply put, deer like to eat a lot of different things. A lot of it is based on what is available in a given area and time of year.

Deer are also curious animals when it comes to food items. That's why a lot of the fly-by-night feed attractants seem to work. Deer see/smell something different, they take a look and see what's up. Most of the ones in my experience that are used repeatedly are the sweet style attractants. Everybody like something sweet now and then. I always laugh at the marketing on these items when they are telling of the scents and smells that deer go crazy for. Do you really think a deer in central Texas has any idea what an apple is? Or an orange? Nope, just something they smell is sweet and not a threat to them....

When I first started feeding protein, I thought the deer would just flock to it. Boy was I wrong! It took a year to get them to eat the protein with regularity. So much browse in our area I think is the reason. So I mixed it with the Sweet Feed heavy in molasses and corn. 300#=200#protein/50#corn/50#sweet feed. After a year of doing that I could see them spending more time at the feeder. I eventually nixed the sweet feed, but kept the corn in the mix. Every night they would spend an hour or more eating protein. I was happy with that.

As a side note, the only bucks that came to the feeder were spikes. I never got a picture of an mature buck...ever! In 4 years, not one.

By the way I love this thread.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

^ In areas with high quality and even a high amount of "regular" browse under good range conditions, deer don't tend to rely nearly as much on supplemental feed, because they don't have to. Even when they do use protein feeders, it doesn't make up a huge portion of their daily intake in most cases. Same goes for mineral supplements. Deer will only use "free" mineral if they need it, not because they want it or because it tastes good. Their body dictates when they need more mineral in their diet.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Ok, all caught up, now on to more info....

Since there seems to be a good interest in deer foods, lets continue on there. Deer are selective feeders, meaning that they eat a huge variety of things. They don't just sit in one area eating the same thing every day like a cow does grass in a field. Typically you will see deer feeding along and almost always moving while doing so. They get a little bite here, and one there. That is why most people like to use seed varieties in food plots for greater utilization. Simply put, deer like to eat a lot of different things. A lot of it is based on what is available in a given area and time of year.

Deer are also curious animals when it comes to food items. That's why a lot of the fly-by-night feed attractants seem to work. Deer see/smell something different, they take a look and see what's up. Most of the ones in my experience that are used repeatedly are the sweet style attractants. Everybody like something sweet now and then. I always laugh at the marketing on these items when they are telling of the scents and smells that deer go crazy for. Do you really think a deer in central Texas has any idea what an apple is? Or an orange? Nope, just something they smell is sweet and not a threat to them....

Very interesting. I was one of those guys always looking for that magic hocus pocus to bring a deer in. In my experience corn works just about as good as anything. To me regular corn does not have a smell so I never figured how deer find it so quickly. But it works. Some of the other stuff works also but it is so expensive. Now that I am getting a good feeder all I will be able to run through it is corn so I will be limited. Probably a good thing.

[DUKFVR]

Great thread! Thanks guys!

[Tejas Wildlife]

I agree

From one biologist to another; I tip my Stetson to a great job on your part. Awesome thread.

As a biologist myself, I always appreciate hearing someone else talk about WTD behavior/etc in "layman terms". We all learned the latin terms for species and the "correct biological phrases" in college but that is of very little use if you can't translate it over to easily understood analogies for the general public.

This is an awesome post and THANKS to all the experts who contribute. I believe Ben Franklin said "I can learn something from each person I meet daily if I will but listen". Or at least something like that!! lol

[SHOOTNSTR8]

Great thread and useful information. Thanks.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Most feed additives and attractants are made more for you than they are for deer. The same applies for scent lures and urines. I have made it a habit to pee in scrapes I find near where I am hunting or guiding hunters. I have people ask me all the time though about it and it's kinda funny the looks I get when people realize what I am saying.

Pee is pee for the most part. I have people say, "yeah, but it smells like coffee and that buck is gonna know you were here!" Really? How does a deer know what coffee even is? You telling me he gets up every morning and fixes himself a cup before hitting the food plot? All he knows is someone else peed in his territory and it makes him mad, not scared. Think about it......

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Most feed additives and attractants are made more for you than they are for deer. The same applies for scent lures and urines. I have made it a habit to pee in scrapes I find near where I am hunting or guiding hunters. I have people ask me all the time though about it and it's kinda funny the looks I get when people realize what I am saying.

Pee is pee for the most part. I have people say, "yeah, but it smells like coffee and that buck is gonna know you were here!" Really? How does a deer know what coffee even is? You telling me he gets up every morning and fixes himself a cup before hitting the food plot? All he knows is someone else peed in his territory and it makes him mad, not scared. Think about it......

I know it works for a lot of people but I have never had any luck with deer pee, my pee or any of the other stuff that works for others. I just sit and watch corn or a food plot.

[Ten Ring]

Most feed additives and attractants are made more for you than they are for deer. The same applies for scent lures and urines. I have made it a habit to pee in scrapes I find near where I am hunting or guiding hunters. I have people ask me all the time though about it and it's kinda funny the looks I get when people realize what I am saying.

Pee is pee for the most part. I have people say, "yeah, but it smells like coffee and that buck is gonna know you were here!" Really? How does a deer know what coffee even is? You telling me he gets up every morning and fixes himself a cup before hitting the food plot? All he knows is someone else peed in his territory and it makes him mad, not scared. Think about it......

I have been hearing about this on the GS for a little while. Three weeks ago I came up on a scrape and peed in it, as my wife laughed at me and told me that cant be a good idea. I explained why I think it might work. Last week I go up there to to put some corn out and guess what that scrape was bigger and the licking branch was even more beat up. Then about 20 feet away was another scrape. So I peed in the same scrape I did last time. Then hunted that Sunday and the scrape was even larger, so I peed in both of them and put a camera on them. Can't wait for Friday to see what the scrapes looks like and what the camera got pictures of. My question is why the scrapes so late in the season?... they were not there in November.