Deer are widespread herbivores, and understanding their dietary habits is helpful for various reasons, from wildlife management to protecting personal gardens. Their diet is diverse and changes with the seasons, influenced by the availability and nutritional content of different plants. This adaptability allows them to thrive in various environments.
Are Deer Grass Eaters?
While deer might occasionally consume grass, they are primarily browsers rather than grazers. Unlike grazers such as cattle, deer are “concentrate selectors” with smaller, less complex stomachs, requiring more easily digestible and higher-quality forage.
Grass offers low nutritional value for deer. They may eat young, tender shoots in early spring or in areas with limited alternative forage. However, relying solely on grass would lead to starvation due to their inability to extract sufficient nutrients.
Their Preferred Plant Forage
Deer primarily consume forbs, browse, and mast, which provide necessary nutrients and energy. Forbs are herbaceous, broad-leaved plants like wildflowers, clovers, ragweed, and goldenrod. These non-woody plants are highly digestible and rich in protein, making them a preferred food source, especially in spring and summer.
Browse consists of leaves, buds, and tender twigs from woody plants like trees, shrubs, and vines. Examples include greenbrier, blackberry, and maple. Browse is a consistent year-round food source, offering fiber and moderate energy, and is particularly important when green plants are scarce.
Mast refers to nuts and fruits, categorized as hard mast (like acorns and beechnuts) and soft mast (such as berries, apples, and persimmons). Mast provides concentrated energy; hard mast is high in fats and carbohydrates, while soft mast is rich in sugars and vitamins. Acorns, for instance, are highly sought after for their fat and oil content.
Seasonal Diet Changes
A deer’s diet changes throughout the year, adapting to food availability and their varying nutritional needs. In spring, as new growth emerges, deer seek out tender shoots and highly digestible forbs to regain weight lost over winter. This period is crucial for does preparing for fawning and bucks beginning antler growth, both requiring high protein.
During summer, deer consume lush vegetation, forbs, and soft mast like berries, which provide ample nutrients and energy. As summer progresses, the quality of some plants may decline, leading deer to seek alternative, higher-quality forage.
Fall is a period of intense feeding as deer build up fat reserves for the upcoming winter and the breeding season (rut). Their diet shifts to include energy-rich foods like acorns, other nuts, and fruits. This accumulation of fat is essential for survival through colder months when food becomes scarce.
Winter presents the greatest challenge for deer, as many preferred food sources are dormant or covered by snow. Their diet during this time primarily consists of woody browse, including twigs, buds, and evergreen leaves. Deer reduce their activity and metabolism to conserve energy, relying heavily on the fat reserves built during fall.
Coexisting with Deer: Applying Diet Knowledge
Understanding deer dietary preferences informs strategies for managing their presence, for conservation or conflict mitigation. For homeowners and gardeners, knowing deer dietary preferences helps in selecting deer-resistant plants or implementing protective measures. Plants that are not primary food sources or those with strong scents or textures are less likely to be browsed.
Wildlife management efforts often consider deer diet to ensure healthy populations and sustainable habitats. Promoting the growth of preferred forbs, browse, and mast species can support deer nutrition naturally. This knowledge also guides decisions on land management practices, such as timber harvesting, which can stimulate the growth of desirable understory vegetation that serves as deer forage.