Whitetail Nutritional Needs
Improving the nutrition available to a deer herd is another important component of QDM. The diet of a healthy herd should contain 12-18 percent protein and adequate levels of calcium, phosphorous, and other important nutrients. Although whitetails can maintain themselves on lower quality diets, antler development, body growth, and reproductive success suffer. Fortunately, several techniques are available to increase nutrition to desirable levels. Three common practices include natural vegetation management, food plots, and supplemental feeding.
Natural Vegetation Management
Natural vegetation includes all plant species, both native and introduced, on a property. Because these species account for most of a deer's diet, the most desirable species should be widely available and abundant. While it is possible to plant certain desirable native species, it is more economical and beneficial to manipulate the habitat to encourage desirable species and deter undesirable ones. Habitat management techniques may include prescribed burning, mowing, discing, fertilizing, and the use of selective herbicides. Determining the best technique or combination of techniques for your area depends on property location, property size, site quality, existing vegetation, management goals, available equipment, and financial resources. Therefore, we recommend you seek advice from a wildlife or forestry professional before undertaking any habitat management program.
Food Plots
When properly established and maintained, food plots are a very beneficial habitat management practice. Food plots include all plant species planted in an agricultural manner to increase the quantity and/or quality of forage available to deer. While the common question is what's best to plant for my deer herd?, the answer is rarely as simple. There are no "magic beans" that fulfill the dietary needs of whitetails on a year-round basis. Determining which species or groups of species to plant depends on many factors.
The first step in a food plot program is to determine the location, size, shape, distribution, and total acreage of food plots needed. Selecting sites with the best soil characteristics is very important and a county soil map (available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service) can be a great help. Recent research suggests that as little as one percent of a property planted in high quality, year-round food plots can measurably improve the overall condition of a deer herd. A more aggressive goal would be three to five percent. Food plots should be between a half and three acres in size, irregularly shaped, and evenly distributed throughout a property. Small plots (1/4-1/2 acre) are more difficult to manage and more vulnerable to overbrowsing.
The second step is to conduct a soil test. For a nominal cost, the soil test will provide a detailed summary of the soil pH (acidity level) and current nutrient levels. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to know how much lime and/or fertilizer must be added to maximize yields.
The third step is to decide whether to plant annuals or perennials or a combination of both. Annuals grow for a single season only, whereas perennials may grow for five years or longer. Annuals are easier to grow, but typically must be replanted annually which increases the cost and labor requirements. Perennials require periodic mowing, fertilizing, and weed control. However, when planted and managed correctly, they generally produce more total forage and are more cost effective than annual plantings.
A final consideration is whether to plant cool-season forages, warm-season forages, or both. Cool-season forages grow best from fall through spring while warm-season forages grow during the late spring and summer months. Many hunters plant cool-season food plots to increase hunting success during the fall. Fall food plots also increase opportunities for hunters to view deer for extended periods; thereby, increasing harvest selectivity.
Cool-season forages provide useful nutrition during the fall and early spring, but typically not during mid- to late-summer when does are raising fawns and bucks are growing antlers. As such, in many areas, both warm- and cool-season forages should be planted to ensure year-round forage availability and nutrition.
Supplemental Feeding
Supplemental feeding is the practice through which bulk feeds such as corn, soybeans, or commercial deer pellets are provided to deer in large quantities throughout the year or during specific stress periods. This practice differs from baiting in that the primary emphasis is to improve deer health and not simply to increase deer density or harvest opportunities.
In some portions of the whitetail's range, inadequate rainfall, poor soils, or landowner constraints prevent hunters from undertaking natural vegetation management programs or establishing high quality food plots. In such cases (and where legal), supplemental feeding provides a reliable means of improving nutrition available to deer. However, this practice is more costly than other management techniques as well as more time and labor intensive. In addition, supplemental feeding is highly controversial among wildlife professionals because it has been linked to the transmission of certain diseases and parasites, some of which have human health implications. As such, supplemental feeding programs should not be implemented in areas with disease concerns and considered carefully before implementing in other areas.
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