How food plot forages meet the seasonal nutritional demands of deer:
By Matt Tarr, Whitetail Stewards, Inc.
Forages that are most nutritious and palatable in the SPRING are important for:
[ul][*]helping all deer recover from winter stress[*]providing pregnant does with nutrition needed to support developing fetuses through the third trimester and to begin producing milk[*]providing bucks with nutrients needed to begin growing antlers [/ul]
Forages that are most nutritious and palatable in the SUMMER are important for:
[ul][*]providing does with nutrients needed for producing milk[*]providing nutrients needed by growing fawns[*]supporting further antler development in bucks [/ul]
Forages that are most nutritious and palatable in the FALL/WINTER are important for:
[ul][*]providing nutrition for weaned fawns that are still growing[*]providing energy deer need to prepare for winter[*]replacing energy lost during the rut [/ul]