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Strut&Rut

Actually, it is much different than food plots, unless you've got multiple food piles over 1/2 acre plus of land.

And feeding in the winter is discouraged because it concentrates the deer. Hence, if one is sick and would normally not contact another deer, the feed piles will attract the deer to the same vicinity.

Some other concerns I did not mention before include increased predator numbers (don't be surprised if Fido the poodle or Fluffy the cat become "missing&quot such as coyotes around your feeding area, and increases in the exposure to Lyme disease carrying ticks.

If you have domesticated livestock or horses, be sure to feed the deer at least 1/4 mile away from your animals to reduce the exposure to Lyme. Always do a tick check of your clothes and person after leaving the feeding area.

Also remember that if you feed close to your house, the deer will feel safe in that area---year round. Don't be mad when the missus kicks your arse because the deer ate all her tulip buds in late April, right before they bloomed, or they munched on your ornamental landscaping in February when you forgot to put out feed.

Just passing along some more information...

Strut&Rut

Sorry, forgot to address CWD in that last reply.

As for CWD, it was confined to Colorado and Wyoming for almost 30 years.

Its spread Eastward is contributed almost exclusively to the shipping of contaminated animals and the ill-advised practice of feeding wildlife.

Other factors include natural migration along new travel corridors which are oftentimes new logging roads made by man and the housing of infected with non-infected animals.

The spread of CWD is not a natural phenomenom, it is definitely being influenced by human interaction with the cervids. A minute amount of research illustrates this point rather convincingly.

Anyone interested should do a google search and then visit the Wisconsin DNR and the CWD Alliance websites. Quality information with links and scientific articles, not just mumbo-jumbo. If your really piqued and want more scientific articles on CWD, go to PubMed and research the articles published in the last 5 years---really good stuff.



Edited by - Strut&Rut on 01/10/2003 13:24:45

Jimmy S

For those who continue to feed the deer, it may be in your interest to read what the New Hampshire Fish and Game has to say about it, and then decide. mf brought up some excellent points....
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/

burrman

As for feeding deer, I have been feeding deer for nine years and I believe if you do it right you will boost your deer numbers and see large racked animals as a result......... The biggest mistake people make is that they start feeding when the going is good and when it becomes difficult they stop!... They also feed the deer away from normal winter feeding areas, not a good idea, feed them as close to the winter yarding area as possible..... To afford to feed large numbers of deer, you need to choose your feed so that you can.... I mix corn silage, oats, and minerals, this a very good high energy food that they will do quite well on, without a great expense. You can buy corn silage for about $30 per ton, you must however store it so that it will not spoil, store it in 5 gal. buckets or 55 gal. drums, with either method you must compact the silage in the containers, so that you squeeze the air out of the mix. Stored correctly, the silage will last for weeks without spoiling. You can buy farm grown oats for about $6 per 80 lbs.... .Make sure that you use a mineral mix made for cervid..........Mix and serve, but do not stop until there is sufficient spring growth... When putting out the feed , make as many small piles as possible, so the deer do not fight over one pile ....Good luck,

Mark luce

Charlie P

It will take awhile before their bodies get any nutritional value from a different food.You might actually do more harm then good.

up-a-tree

I checked my yard today the snow is knee deep the deer are in there digging the ground and eating leftover acorns the squirls must have led them to them, there droppings are brown and fiberous, there are piles everywhere so they must be eating something, they like the ceder brush, I didnt find any sheds, there where beds everwhere too. I wish I had a game cam...Also the ground isnt frozen .Too much snow Insulation

MR.D

I agree with Charlie P.
Once the green vegetation dries up in late Fall a deers metabolism not only slows but changes to match its diet. Deer, during winter months, will browse mostly, eating the small buds that were set for the next springs growth. If browse isnt available they will switch to less nutritious feed such as soft barks and even laurel. The problem with feeding grain such as corn is that the digestive tract is not geared for it at such a time of year when only browse is available. Yes they will eat corn up and fill their bellies but wont get much nutrition from it so its mostly wasted.

When I was younger my friends and I would go through our hunting grounds with bow saws to make more browse available. You would be surprised how much browse can be cut by a handful of guys only going out once a week.

You may feed corn only if you have been feeding all year so the deer's digestive system doesn't switch to the "browse mode".
This however is illeagle in PA and many other states as well.

Cut the browse, get exercise, see where they are running, and enjoy your efforts the following year.

Oh by the way, the PGC gave us the green light to even cut browse on state game lands back then, However I'm not sure they will now so you'd better check first.
Sincerely,
Mr.D

mhogan

Thanks Jimmy S. Anyone else have any links where they discuss winter feeding?

I can't pull down that article titled "More harm than good"

RayC

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/deerfeed.htm

http://animalrangeextension.montana....tough_love.htm

http://www.esf.edu/aec/mammals/deerfeeding.htm

http://www.anr.state.vt.us/bridge/wi...eedingdeer.htm








Edited by - RayC on 01/21/2003 07:17:14