Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

I know theres was a post / thread about diffrent plants and forage that deer eat and grows in the woods.
Can somebody please help find this and repost up, it had some pictures of each type of plant along with a discription about it.

Thanks in advance

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

The Quality Deer Management Association website has a number of articles available about deer nutrition that you can view for free. This months magazine has a good article about Old Field Management and the different plants that deer prefer and their nutritional value, like Pokeweed at 32% protein 12% fiber and its high preference to deer as well as a number of other plants. At $30 a year its a bargain. If you need it I'll PM some of the plants.

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

Thanks timbercruiser
I've been scouting my hunting grounds , looking for diffrent food source's .
The pictures would help alot , could you please pm those pictures so I'll be able to identify some in my area.

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

This guide is designed to help you identify some woody plants of high, moderate, and low importance to deer. By learning to "key" in on areas with preferred foods and with signs of browsing, you can enhance your chances of seeing deer. Remember, look for browsed vegetation from ground level to about five feet in height. Rabbits also browse low twigs, but use by the two species can be distinguished easily.
Woodlands are dynamic, changing from year to year. As trees grow, a maturing forest provides far less food than its previous young, brushy phase which occurred shortly after logging. What you remember as good deer habitat 15 years ago is probably poor habitat today. Use this guide to determine the feeding conditions at your favorite deer hunting or viewing area.
White Cedar (Arbor Vitae) - Evergreen with flat scalelike "leaves." Some varieties used for ornamental shrubbery. A swamp tree but it can grow on moist upland. In many areas browsing deer have eaten practically all cedar within reach.
White Pine - The only Michigan pine with five needles in a cluster. Young trees have smooth dark green bark. Deer will eat white pine before they take other pines.
Maples - Trees with buds opposite each other Sugar maple has brownish or gray twigs with brown pointed buds. Red maple has red twigs and reddish rounded buds and is better deer food.
Yellow Birch - The bark of young tree , and twigs is brownish turning yellowish-gray and curling up when older. Pointed buds. Twigs taste like wintergreen. Young yellow birch looks like ironwood (a poor deer food), but ironwood has no wintergreen taste.
Dogwoods and Viburnums - Shrubs that generally have opposite buds like maples. Red dogwood has bright red twigs. Other species have reddish green, brown, or gray twigs. Viburnum buds are many different shapes.
Sumac - Shrub commonly found in old fields and forest openings. Heavy, stiff, brown twigs and branches. One kind is fuzzy and resembles antlers in velvet. Another kind is smooth. Bunches of fuzzy red fruit at the top of all sumac plants.
Aspen - This tree is, also called "popple" or "poplar" and is one of the most common Michigan trees. Trembling aspen has whitish, greenish gray bark and long pointed shiny buds Big toothed aspen has yellow green bark and fatter, fuzzy buds. Balm of Gilead (a poor deer food) looks similar, but has gray-green bark with bin sticky end buds and grows in wet areas.
Jack Pine - A small needled tree. Needles, 2 in a bundle are 1 to 1 ½ inches long. Young stands provide good winter cover, but only fair deer food.
Oaks - Buds at ends of twigs are clustered and only moderate in food value, but acorns provide excellent deer food.
Ash - Green to light brownish gray, stiff, smooth stems with opposite, dark brown and black buds. Side buds close to end bud. Black ash is a swamp species. White ash prefers upland sites.
White Birch - This is the common "paper" or "canoe" birch. Bark on young stems is a shiny orange brown color that gradually turns white and "papery."
Witch-Hazel - Look for the unusual-shaped light brown buds. Yellow crinkly flowers can be seen in the fall along the sterns.
Spruce - Conical evergreen with stiff, sharp, 4 sided needles. Buds are not sticky. Deer will eat spruce only as last resort.
Beech - Light gray smooth bark. Long pointed buds. Leaves may stay on till spring.
Red Pine - Needles 2 in a cluster, 4 to 6 inches long. Michigan's longest needled pine and a tree that has very little food value for deer.
Balsam Fir - Evergreen with flat needles, 3/4" to 1 inch long. Smooth dark green bark with resin "blisters." Sticky buds at ends of twigs. A swamp species also found on moist uplands.
Tag Alder - A large shrub growing in wet places. Dark greenish brown stems covered with spots. Buds on short stalks. Catkins or "cones" may be present in the fall.
Leather Leaf - A bog shrub broadleaf evergreen. Under sides of leaves are rough. Labrador Tea (a better deer food) is found in the same places and its stems and the bottoms of its leaves are covered with a rusty ''wool."

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

FOR NORTHERN DEER:

It's important to note that scientific evidence has recorded the consumption of well over 700 species of plants nationwide by white-tailed deer, and the above regional lists only represent some of the preferred species; consumption of each item varies with soil type, timber stand condition, and land use, and may only comprise a small portion of any individual deer's diet. The amount of plant utilization depends on its regional availability, the preference of the deer in that particular area, and the types and availability of other foods.


Spring


As snow melts in the early spring, the first herbaceous plants to become green provide deer with high-energy foods until buds of shrubs and trees begin opening. At this time, northern deer will spend most (67%) of their feeding time foraging herbaceous plants and will consume any available native and agricultural grasses, ferns and sedges. In the Midwest, early-season agricultural crops (e.g., clover, alfalfa) can make up a significant portion (89%) of a deer's diet.



A list of common natural foods eaten by northern white-tailed deer in Spring

By Matt Ross, Whitetail Stewards, Inc.
[ul][*]Wild oat grass (Danthonia compressa)[*]Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata)[*]Bluegrass (Poa fendleriana)[*]Kentucky bluegrass (P. pratensis)[*]Panic grass (Panicum spp.)[*]Quackgrass (Andrpyron repens)[*]Little bluestem (A. scoparius)[*]Three-awn grass (Aristida spp.)[*]Redtop (Agrostis alba)[*]Bluejoint (Calamagostis canadensis)[*]Downy chess (Bromus tectorum)[*]Canada wild-rye (Elymus canadensis)[*]Winter wheat (Agropyron spp.)[*]Bluebunch fescue (Festuca idahoensis)[*]Rough fescue (F. scabrella)[*]Timothy grass (Phleum pratense)[*]Red clover (Trifolium pratense)[*]Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)[*]Spinulose-shield fern (Dryopteris austriaca)[*]Sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina)[*]Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinium)[*]Moonwort (Botrychium spp.)[*]Sedge (Carex spp.) [/ul]


Summer
As forbs and young leaves become more available during early summer, northern deer shift from a strict diet of grasses, ferns, and sedges, and begin eating a mixture of herbaceous vegetation, young leaves, and the current shoots of woody species. In late summer, woody plant parts become less important, and deer

A list of common natural foods eaten by northern white-tailed deer in Summer
By Matt Ross, Whitetail Stewards, Inc.
[ul][*]Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)[*]Tick trefoil (Desmodium spp.)[*]Lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.)[*]Everlasting (Antennaria spp.)[*]Wild carrot (Daucus carota )[*]Hawkweed (Hieracium spp.)[*]Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)[*]Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)[*]Dog-tooth violet (Erythronium americanum)[*]Spring beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)[*]Trillium (Trillium undulatum)[*]Meadow-sweet (Spiraea latifolia)[*]Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)[*]Black raspberry (R. occidentalis)[*]Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) [*]Blackberry (R. allegheniensis)[*]Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)[*]Greenbrier (Smilax spp.)[*]Strawberry bush (Fragaria spp.)[*]Grape (Vitis spp.)[*]Rose (Rosa spp.)[*]White ash (Fraxinus americana)[*]Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)[*]Red maple (A. rubrum)[*]Black cherry (Prunus serotina)[*]Yellow birch (Betula lutea)[*]Basswood (Tilia americana)[*]Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)[*]Choke cherry (Prunus americana) [/ul]
Autumn
In autumn, northern deer require a high-energy, digestible food source in order to acquire fat for the upcoming winter. However, by autumn, most green vegetation has become dry and dormant and has low palatability. At this time of year, soft and hard mast (fruits and nuts) become available and are a required component in the diet of northern deer. During years of heavy acorn production (up to 200 lbs/acre), acorns may comprise over 50% of the daily diet of deer. During years when acorns are scarce, deer will seek out seeds and fruits from other plants. Deer will also consume persistent green leaves from brambles and groundcovers, and mushroom will comprise a small portion of the diet. Woody browse is an important component of the autumn diet of northern deer.

A list of common natural foods eaten by northern white-tailed deer in Autumn
By Matt Ross, Whitetail Stewards, Inc.
[ul][*]Acorns (Quercus spp.)[*]Beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia)[*]Hickory nuts (Carya spp.)[*]Apples (Malus spp.)[*]Corn (Zea mays)[*]Sumac (Rhus typhina)[*]Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)[*]Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)[*]Honey mushroom (Armillaria mellea)[*]Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)[*]Dogwood (Cornus spp.)[*]Bearberry (Arctostaphylos urva-ursi)[*]Creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens)[*]Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)[*]Common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)[*]Red maple (Acer rubrum)[*]Red oak (Quercus rubra)[*]Black birch (Betula lenta) [/ul]

Winter
Winter in northern regions usually brings deep snow that limits the availability of most foods to deer. As a result, the winter diet of northern deer consists almost entirely (over 80%) of coniferous and deciduous browse and bark. Dry leaves, evergreen ferns, and plants with persistent winter fruits (e.g., mountain ash, hawthorn, rose hips, sumac, and poison ivy) are also important. Following an abundant mast year, deer may paw through more than one foot of snow to find and eat acorns. Once deep snow and cold temperatures are common, any plant that provides food within or near winter cover is typically consumed first, regardless of its palatability.


In winter, northern deer experience what is called a "negative energy balance" as a result of the poor availability and quality of winter food. This means that food quality is so poor that deer are unable to eat enough food to maintain their body weight, and as a result, they loose weight (mostly fat) throughout winter. (Research has shown that even when northern deer are provided high-quality supplemental food during winter they still loose weight.) Because winter food is of such poor quality, deer rely on stored body fat for as much as 30% of their winter energy requirements. Additionally, deer reduce the amount of food they require by reducing their activity and by selecting winter cover that provides shallow snow depths and warmer temperatures.
[ul][*]Dry oak leaves (Quercus spp.)[*]Acorns (Quercus spp.)[*]Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata)[*]Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)[*]Multi-flora rose (Rosa multiflora)[*]Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)[*]Poison-ivy fruits (Toxicodendron radicans)[*]Striped maple (Acer pennsylvanicum)[*]Red maple (A. rubrum)[*]Mountain maple (A. spicatum)[*]American mountain ash (Sorbus americana)[*]Hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium)[*]Wild-raisin (V. cassinoides)[*]Black haw (V. prunifolium)[*]Maple leaf viburnum (V. acerifolium)[*]Dogwood (Cornus spp.)[*]Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)[*]Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)[*]Paper birch (B. papyrifera)[*]Alder (Alnus spp.)[*]Common spicebush (Benzoin aestivale)[*]Hazelnut (Corylus americana)[*]Canada yew (Taxus canadensis)[*]Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)[*]Common juniper (J. communis)[*]Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)[*]Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)[*]Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)[*]Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [/ul]

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

You want pictures, here you are:

http://plants.usda.gov/

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

You are good to go now.

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

You know Tex ... I knew you would come up with something like this ... :D
Thank you very much :)

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

No problem.

RE: Food Sources ... what do deer's eat
 

Hey timbercruiser
Just wanted to let you know I recived the information you sent me today in the mail.
The magazine and notes will be very helpful and it was what I was looking for ... thanks again.
You and TexasOaks are top notch , I'm glad guys like the two of you are in these forums. :)