feeding deer in winter
 

I hunt on a 150 acre tract of land with thick spruce forest and a 4 yr old clear cut in the middle. Deer density is very low. I'm thinking of putting out feed (corn or oats) this winter to possibly bring more deer into the area and help out the ones that are already there. I don't wish to hunt over the feed, just increase the overall population. The landscape is very rugged and not really conducive to planting a food plot. Is this a good idea or should I just let nature do its thing?

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

borealboy; I would only feed in critical (abnormal) conditions. Otherwise you will make the deer dependant on you to feed every year. The MNR website has some good winter feeding suggestions and downloads.

Dan O.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

thanks for the tip Dan O. After reading the MNR info it sounds like more trouble than its worth. Environment Canada is predicting another mild winter here so hopefully the population will be up next year.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Another thing to consider is the fact that feeding often results in high numbers of deer in close contact, and with CWD being the hot topic I would not recommend feeding stations. Food plots are one thing but actual feeding stations are another. CWD is one of natures ways of controlling the population naturally, but when unnatural variables are introduced, a natural process can be turned into a major problem.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Isn't that the truth...

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

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RE: feeding deer in winter
 

im curious as to how much feeding he is talking about? if you dont do much then the deer probably wont care and nothing will change. if you field alot then the deer might become dependent on you,

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

propmahn; in many areas of Canada the deer have to yard because the snow is too deep. The deer numbers are controlled not by overall food availability during the year but by food availability during the end of the winter. If you feed the deer, except under extremmely bad conditions more deer survive than the winter yards can handle. If there are too many deer in these yards the food supply runs out early and more deer die than should have. It isn't as simple as the factors that affect deer in the corn belt.

Dan O.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Dan.O could you explain what a "yard" is? ive never heard the term. and i didnt notice that he is up in canada, and you are right that does make a difference. here in indiana, the food is plentiful enough to support the deer, so if you wanted to attract them to an area you could throw down some corn and you would see them more often

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

A yard is a small protected area that deer stay in during the winter months. Some yards will have a hundred or more deer within a few hundred acres. The deer use the small area because is has protection, food sources such as cedar, balsam fir and the most important reason is that they keep the snow trampled down. When the snow gets deeper than 22-24" the deer can't move easily and expend a large amount of energy just finding food. The problem with the yards is at the end of the winter. If the winter is long and the snow is deep the deer starve before spring.

As sad as it sounds, if you feed them in all but the worst winters there are so many deer that they will starve in a relatively easy winter. So if you start feeding, someone must keep it up every year. When the feeding is stopped large numbers of deer die. On top of this the over population destroys the young tree growth and more feed is required every year.

Ask Farmhunter about his field edge.

Dan O.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

thanks for the info, now i think that i see your point

propmahn
save the world, reload your brass

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Feeding deer in the winter is trouble - but you can do it - naturally. If you have areas of harwoods that need thinning, do it in January, I mean drop the trees that need to be culled out. The deer will relish the windfall of browse, just wait till summer to block up the trees.

Supplying browse for wintering herds of deer id the best feed, when avialable.

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Lime and plant. Stay away from the feeding unless it becomes extremely critical... Like dead deer on the highway. The winter kill off may be the answer to the CWD and TB issues. Natures way of toeing the mark.

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

I agree that winter feeding is risky and can cause more harm than good. If you do feed remember that deer are ruminants and can't get nutrition from foods untill they develop the nesesary micro-organisms needed to digest the food source, this takes time.
Deer that have never eaten corn before will probably take advantage of a big pile they find in the woods, but their bodies can't process the new food as well as lesser browse that they are used to.
I recently read Whitetails - Natures Wild Spirits, it documents the story of a farmer that decided to put out hay for some resident deer, he was devastated when he started to find dear that had starved to death around his property because the deer were eating the hay and nothing else, but weren't getting any energy from it.
If you feed you must introduce the feed to the deer before they really need it, and you should be prepared to feed indefineatly because they will come to rely on you.

"guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals"
- Homer Simpson

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Note: The winter feeding recommendations below are now illegal in Wisconsin due to the current CWD problem.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/...r/wintfeed.htm

Winter Deer Feeding in Wisconsin

Deer are adapted to winter
Deer adapt physiologically and behaviorally to survive the rigorous winters in our northern forest habitats of Wisconsin. From late December to late February, deer activity, movement, and feeding decrease. At this time they are utilizing their body fat reserves acquired on their summer and fall range. This is especially important since natural winter foods (browse) are less nutritious and less abundant than summer foods. Whether an individual deer is able to survive the winter depends largely on the deer's physical health going into winter, the severity and duration of winter, the amount of quality food available, and the amount of energy the animal uses.

Some deer, especially fawns and older deer, may die in any winter regardless of severity. Deer mortality among these age groups increases as the winter severity increases. These animals usually have insufficient amounts of stored energy (body fat), or are unable to find and compete with other deer for available food. The majority of deer, especially adult does, will survive even the harshest winter without the need for supplemental feeding. Occasional severe winters and deer losses are normal occurrences in northern areas of our state. In severe winters, most mortality occurs in March or April as their body fat is depleted.

How and Where to feed
Winter feeding does very little to help the regional deer herd survive the winter because most of the herd (as much as 70%) is inaccessible to feeding. However, it can benefit individual deer if done properly. If you intend to feed, you must DO IT RIGHT, OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL! Careful consideration should be given to feeding efforts prior to implementation. If done improperly, you can do more harm than good.

Feeding tips:
try to feed near sheltered areas with conifer cover that are out of the wind
feed away from areas of high human use, dogs, cars, and snowmobiles
supply feed at a rate of 2 pounds per deer per day
resupply feeders when 90% of food is eaten
put food in several places to avoid competition among deer for food
use trough or box type feeders placed on the ground to avoid waste and fecal contamination
Keep feeding deer until the snow melts in spring. Also, be aware that feeding can attract fairly high numbers of deer, and can result in surprisingly high expenses. Feeding deer in or near your yard can also attract and concentrate deer where they may also browse on much of your, or your neighbor's, ornamental trees and shrubs.

What to feed
If you accept the responsibilities of feeding deer, the following foods should be considered.

Deer Food Mixes: The Department of Natural Resources recommends feeding a special deer food mix consisting of a mixture of corn, alfalfa, oats, soybeans, molasses, and several vitamins and minerals. Many feed mills in Wisconsin sell this mixture in pellet or meal form. If such a mix is not available, rabbit or horse pellets with at least 12% protein can be used. By late February, deer that have been eating on woody browse for most of the winter can switch and readily digest this food better than corn or hay.

Oats: After the special deer food mixture, oats are preferred over all other supplemental foods. They provide deer with a very favorable ratio of fiber and carbohydrates.

Corn: We do not recommend feeding deer a pure corn diet as the high starch content of corn can cause high acidity in the rumen which kills microorganisms necessary for digesting food. Corn is widely used deer food in Wisconsin. It is less expensive than the deer mixtures, but not as nutritious. If corn is fed, it should be mixed with oats at a ratio of 4 parts oats to 1 part corn. Do not use corn unless you start feeding it early in the winter before deer are stressed.

Hay: In northern forested areas of Wisconsin, hay is the least desirable food for winter feeding purposes, and is not recommended. When deer have had reduced intake because of low food supplies, rumen activity declines and fermentation of fiber decreases. The fiber type in alfalfa cannot be readily broken down, and it can impact deer in such a way that it dooms them to continued starvation.

When to feed
Deer can be fed all winter if done for recreational purposes. If the intent is to save deer in a severe winter, the most cost effective approach is to start feeding in late February and continue through snow melt or until deer have dispersed to summer habitats. During March and early April is the time of winter when most deer that succumb to winter stress are likely to die. This is the time when supplemental feeding can benefit deer most, and will insure that you do not run out of interest and funding at a critical time of the year for deer.

Note: The winter feeding recommendations above are now illegal in Wisconsin due to the current CWD problem.

Edited by - 1sagittarius on 11/28/2002 09:50:30

RE: feeding deer in winter
 

Well Borealboy,It has been my experiance over the last 50 years ya don't mess with mother nature.As farm hunter has stated fall those trees that need thing or even sell off some logs and let the logger do it for ya. Also would be a good idea to put in some food plots, corn, clovers, beans,there are some mixed seeding you can purchase I do suggest ya do some home work to see what foods the deer are getting in your area and try to stay as close to that as you can.
Thats my two bites worth.
OLDRUTTINBUCK

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