White-tailed deer are adaptable herbivores found across North America, thriving in diverse environments from dense forests to agricultural lands. They consume a wide variety of plant matter, with food choices influenced by seasonal availability, nutritional needs, and palatability. This varied diet allows them to obtain energy and nutrients for survival and reproduction.
Primary Natural Food Sources
Whitetail deer favor specific food sources that provide high nutritional value and digestibility. Acorns, especially white oak acorns, are highly sought-after due to their lower tannin content, making them less bitter and more palatable. These nuts offer substantial fat and carbohydrates, crucial for energy reserves. Other hard mast like beechnuts and hickory nuts also provide calorie-dense nutrition, though their availability can be cyclical.
Forbs, non-woody plants like clover and wild strawberries, are preferred for their protein and easy digestibility. Wild lettuce and ragweed, for example, offer significant protein. Though palatable, their availability fluctuates with weather and season. Browse, leaves, twigs, and buds of woody plants, forms a stable diet component. Deer are selective, choosing species like sumac, dogwood, and honeysuckle for consistent nutrition when other foods are scarce.
Seasonal Dietary Shifts
White-tailed deer diets change significantly throughout the year, adapting to plant availability and fluctuating metabolic needs. In spring, as new growth emerges, deer concentrate on tender, succulent vegetation. They seek high-protein forbs and fresh grass shoots, providing easily digestible nutrients for winter recovery, antler growth in bucks, and gestation in does.
During summer, with abundant lush vegetation, deer consume a variety of forbs and browse. This season is vital for growth and fawn rearing; does require a protein-rich diet for lactation. Fruits and berries like blackberries, grapes, and mulberries become increasingly available, eaten for their sugars and carbohydrates.
As fall approaches, deer diets shift to mast crops like acorns, apples, and pears. These carbohydrate and fat-rich foods are essential for building fat reserves to survive winter and endure the breeding season. Hard mast provides concentrated energy, while soft mast offers sugars and vitamins. In winter, with scarce food, deer primarily rely on woody browse: twigs and buds of deciduous trees and evergreens like cedar. Their digestive systems adapt to extract nutrients from this lower-quality forage, though they may lose weight.
Agricultural and Supplemental Foods
White-tailed deer frequently interact with human-modified landscapes; agricultural crops become highly attractive food sources when available. Crops like corn, soybeans, and alfalfa are favored for their concentrated caloric and nutritional value. Corn provides high carbohydrates and fats, while soybeans are rich in protein and fats, making them appealing.
These cultivated foods can comprise a significant portion of a deer’s diet in agricultural regions, sometimes making up 40-50% of their year-round intake. Farmers often experience crop damage from deer feeding on these readily accessible, palatable plants. Food plots specifically planted for deer, often containing clover, chicory, oats, and peas, serve as supplemental food sources. These plots provide high-quality forage, especially when natural foods are less abundant or nutritionally lacking, supporting deer health and population management.