White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are Florida’s most common deer species. Their diverse foraging habits allow them to thrive across varied landscapes, from dense forests to suburban areas.
Native Plants and Natural Forage
Florida’s white-tailed deer primarily consume a varied diet of native plants, selectively choosing based on palatability and nutritional content. This includes browse like tender twigs, leaves, and shoots from woody plants. Common browse species include greenbrier (Smilax spp.), wild grape, honeysuckle, blackberry, and young oak and maple shoots.
Forbs, broad-leafed herbaceous plants, form a significant portion of their diet. Deer consume various wildflowers and legumes. Studies in the Everglades show swamp lily (Crinum americanum L.) can be a substantial part of their diet, particularly for females. While grasses are generally less preferred than browse or forbs, deer eat certain types, especially tender new growth and cool-season grasses like Virginia wild rye and river oats.
Mast, both hard and soft, provides crucial nutrients for Florida deer. Acorns are a particularly important hard mast source, with deer often preferring white oak acorns. Soft mast includes fruits and berries like persimmons, beautyberries, red mulberry, black gum (American tupelo), and wild grapes. Palmetto berries are a staple, especially in South Florida, providing essential nutrients and eaten almost year-round.
Seasonal Dietary Shifts
White-tailed deer diets in Florida change seasonally, reflecting plant availability and nutritional content. During spring and summer, abundant new growth provides tender shoots, leaves, forbs, and early fruits. This supports higher protein needs for antler growth in bucks and lactation in does.
In fall, the diet shifts to mast, particularly acorns, which provide carbohydrates to build fat reserves for winter. Soft mast like persimmons and wild grapes also become important. In winter, when preferred food sources are scarce, deer increase reliance on woody browse. Their digestive systems adapt to process more fibrous materials.
Human-Related Food Sources
White-tailed deer frequently interact with human environments, consuming agricultural and garden crops. They browse on ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruit trees in residential areas and farms. This behavior can cause significant damage to landscaping and cultivated fields.
Supplemental feeding, where people provide food to deer, is another human-related food source. This practice is often discouraged or regulated in Florida due to potential negative consequences. Concentrating deer at feeding sites can increase disease transmission, alter natural foraging behaviors, and lead to habituation, making them less wary of humans.
Water Consumption
Water is essential for deer, though not a food source. White-tailed deer obtain water in several ways across Florida’s diverse landscapes. They directly drink from natural bodies of water like ponds, streams, and wetlands.
A significant portion of their water intake comes from moisture within consumed plants. Succulent vegetation, especially during lush growth, contributes to their hydration. Deer also obtain water from dew on plants, particularly during overnight and early morning hours. Access to reliable water sources is important, especially during drier periods, influencing their movement and habitat use.