I usually (right or wrong)associate browsing with fauna that's still on the tree limbs. My question is about leaves that have dropped.

Never seen deer eating leaves off the ground. No experience. Can not help you. Abort. Abort.

LT[8D]

Deer love maple leaves when the sugar count is the highest. Thats in the early fall I believe!!

Hatchet Jack

Now we're talking.

HJ has this right.I have watched deer woof maple leaves many times.

Oak seedlings!, 6-12 inches by fall

Where I hunt in the swamps of S. Alabama I found a tree with with tons of droppings around it. The only thing on the ground were bright red leaves, which I assumed was the reason for all the droppings. I later found out that the tree was a black gum tree, and that deer do prefer the leaves of this tree. Also, when hurricane Ivan rolled through here late summer one year, it destroyed the white oak crop, and downed many trees. Later in the season the deer were tearing up the leaves still attached to the tops of the downed trees.