Deer feeding question

[jrbows]

Let me start by saying I don't bait deer or hunt over a bait pile the reason I'm asking is the population in my immediate area this year was terrible that coupled with fairly sustained snow coverage and several weeks of cold weather have me wanting to help out the deer that are here. The question is what can I put out for the deer that will do more good than harm I'd like to do something other than corn or something mixed with corn or apples until things straighten out weather-wise. Thanks.

[The Night Stalker]

Gravity feeder with pellets from tractor supply. You can add calf manna and pelleted rice bran and some corn to get them started.

[Onions]

We have very deep snow here in Michigan as well. Deer are upto there bellies in the snow. I live in an agriculture area, with lots of corn, so deer are used to it. I have been putting about 50lbs/week out in the woods.
Also, been cutting cedar branches down for them to feed on.

chris <><

[kuch]

They have eaten both holly bushes next to the house and even some jap. barberry . haven't seen that before. The boxwood must taste really bad .  Found  one  yearling dead , tough winter.

[Mojostick]

Unfortunately, as this point it's more harm than good.

This press release was recently issued by Michigan State University, among the most preeminent schools on the subject matter, if not the #1 university on the subject matter...

 http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/supplemental_deer_feeding

Supplemental deer feeding

With a colder and snowier than usual winter upon us, supplemental winter feeding of deer has been argued by some. However, its effectiveness is not supported by science nor encouraged by professional wildlife biologists.

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Bill Cook, Michigan State University Extension

Supplemental winter feeding of white-tailed deer offers no benefit to the size or health of deer herds on the landscape scale. Research has shown this to be true across the northern tier of states from Maine to Montana. Repeatedly. For decades.

It is costly. It is ineffective. There are risks of unintended damage to the herd, non-target species and the habitat. It does not increase quality hunting.

Deer feeding is controversial, as is most everything surrounding this wildly popular game species. However, the science is not.

State wildlife management agencies discourage supplemental feeding. Public funds are not typically used because it has been made clear that it is a poor use of money and is counter-productive. The Wildlife Society, the professional group for wildlife biologists, has a position statement that discourages supplemental feeding.

So why does the cry to feed deer during harsher winters occur as regularly as taxes? Maybe it is as simple as well-intentioned people wanting to “do something”. Or, some people just like seeing deer in their backyard. And, on the local level, a well-designed program might pull a few more deer through the winter.

Severe winters will kill deer and there is nothing that can be done about it. This is true for many species of wildlife. That is the way of nature and nature is not particularly pretty.

In addition to being ineffective, there are many downsides of supplemental feeding of deer. The wrong choice of feed can kill deer. Deer can starve to death with a full belly. The possibility of disease transmission increases. The most vulnerable are the least likely to benefit. Migration patterns may be disrupted. Social patterns among maternal groups may become dysfunctional. Feeding areas can attract predators and other, less desirable, species. Attempts to push deer populations beyond winter carrying capacity can lead to long-term habitat damage. Car-deer crashes may increase. Deer trail networks can deteriorate if left unused due to attraction to feeding stations.

The list goes on.

Deer herds are spread across the landscape. Access points for feeding are relatively few. Most of the herd will not discover the supplemental feeding areas, especially those deer that live further away from roads.

Deer are not friendly-feeders. While many deer may be attracted to feeding sites, the weaker deer will be excluded by the stronger deer, unless there’s an unlimited amount of food. And, most of the stronger deer will survive regardless of supplemental feeding. So, feeding may actually result in higher mortality levels than no feeding.

Once a nutritious deer feeding program begins, it needs to be maintained until green-up. If not, deer mortality will be higher than if no feeding occurred in the first place. For a landowner, costs can easily run into the thousands of dollars, with little to show for it.

Deer can starve from eating food that they cannot digest. A diet of about 25 percent corn and 75 percent second-cut alfalfa has had some success in the Upper Peninsula. Feed pellets are generally recommended for those who insist on feeding deer, as long as the pellets remain in good condition. As for spring fawning, the late summer and early fall nutritional condition is likely more important than winter nutrition.

Better alternatives to deer feeding are habitat improvements and increased hunting pressure. Hunting is a critical tool to help balance deer population size with habitat conditions. Management plans for earlier successional forest types and winter cover will benefit game species. This usually means timber harvesting, including clearcutting in appropriate timber types. Getting the smaller, younger deer into the freezer can save them, and the forest, from considerable hardship.

According to Michigan State University Extension, the key to a healthy deer herd lies in good habitat (forest) management, focused hunting priorities, and accepting that severe winters will result in the loss of the younger and weaker animals. Winter supplemental feeding is an entirely inadequate substitution.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit  http://www.msue.msu.edu.  To contact an expert in your area, visit  http://expert.msue.msu.edu,  or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

[Orion]

Thanks, Mojo.  Should be required reading for all hunters.

[Mojostick]

I understand the "want to do something" aspect. Years ago, before TB and CWD, we used to winter feed during harsh winters in the 1970's, 80's and early 1990's. It took a long time to realize that we were doing more harm than good. Everything in the above link is true and like you said, should be required reading.

[jrbows]

Thanks Mojo a friend of mine mentioned an article like this if not this very one a while back I don't kill a lot of deer annually but I also don't like to feel like I could have done something and didn't.  I thought maybe that since seasons were out and the weather has been bad a while maybe I could help out.

[Mojostick]

As mentioned, native habitat improvements and keeping herd numbers in check/balance for what the habitat can support is the key.

While many in northern lower Michigan complained about lower deer numbers this past Fall, due to liberal antlerless tags in past years, the truth is that we are very lucky that our herds were on the low side with this Winter. If we had big herds, the Winter kill on the fawn class would have been huge and even the adult deer would have come out of Winter in rough shape. While we're still going to lose fawns and a few/some adult deer in the NLP, it won't be as bad as if we had 30% more deer. We dodged a bullet. Not that it may not be bad this Winter, but we dodged "catastrophic", if we had herds like we did some years back.

I hope the folks that complained about the deer hunting "up north" take time to reflect that the DNR pushing to lower herds in fact knew exactly what they were doing, saved our NLP from a crash and should be thanked, not scorned. Sometimes the medicine needed doesn't taste as good as we hoped, but it's still needed.

[Beanbag]

Up here in the northeast they want the deer killed off.Costs less in insurance bills for auto accidents. Heck they even brought in professional killers to thin out the herds on Block Island. Too many expensive shrubs being eaten for the tree huggers to tolerate. Go figure !!!  Call me frustrated.

[T Folts]

I remember as a kid taking hay to the MIO (MCKinnely) area in the tough winters. The men of our hunting family's used a semi to haul it up there, I even road in the rig, that was huge for a teen back then. Good reading MOJO

[ron w]

It's illegal to feed here in New York. They have said for years that it did more harm than good. But when I saw deer that my friend had given alphalfa, corn and apples all winter gain weight and have antler growth in march I guess I question their thinking. Deer came in with ribs showing and in 10 days they looked great. It was very costly to him to do this and then he stopped when it became illegal. Since it has become illegal the deer numbers have dropped.

[vhntr 1]

I don't know if I agree with it 100% Michigan has not done a great job with deer management to began with.

[Mojostick]

Feeding winter wildlife can have deadly consequences

Commentary

February 2, 2014


The Pennsylvania Game Commission recently announced that a large bull elk found dead on Jan. 9 in Byrnedale, Elk County, was likely the victim of being fed a quantity of corn.

Test results revealed the trophy 6-by-7- point bull died of rumen acidosis, a condition caused by the sudden introduction of carbohydrates into the animal's system. The metabolisms of wild deer and elk adjust to the foods available to them as the seasons change throughout the year. Corn, wheat, barley and other grains high in carbohydrates typically aren't part of the winter diet of deer or elk, so the animals won't be able to digest such foods properly and eating quantities of them can be fatal. That is what happened to the bull elk.

Game Commission sources aren't sure how the bull elk ingested the corn that killed it, but it is probable the grain was put out by a person or persons as supplemental winter food for elk or other wildlife. Feeding elk is illegal anywhere elk are found in Pennsylvania, however, and those convicted of illegally feeding wildlife face penalties that could include hundreds of dollars in fines and court costs, and additional penalties could result if artificial feeding causes the dearth of an animal.
   
"Most times, the best way to help wildlife make it through the winter is to step back and allow the animals' instincts to take over," said Cal DuBrock, director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Bureau of Wildlife Management. "In a natural setting, most wildlife will change their behaviors to adapt to colder temperatures and scarcer food supplies. Supplemental feeding can alter that behavior and have detrimental, and sometimes fatal, effects."

The harsh weather we have experienced so far this winter has increased the awareness for many folks regarding how wildlife copes with those conditions. Putting out food seems like a worthwhile and compassionate gesture, but in most cases doing so is bound to do more harm than good for any number of reasons. In short, the conventional wisdom on this winter wildlife feeding is simply "don't do it."

The exception, of course, is a backyard birdfeeder, which can provide hours of enjoyment watching the hardy little snowbirds that tough out the winters in this part of the country. Putting out moderate amounts of seeds, suet and other winter bird foods on a regular basis will attract numbers of feathered visitors without making them too dependent on your offerings.

Once you have attracted a colony of birds to a wintertime feeder, however, it is prudent to continue supplying food to them until spring.

Artificially feeding larger animals such as deer and wild turkeys is where things can get complicated, and well-intended handouts may in fact be illegal. With the discovery of chronic wasting disease in our region last year, the Game Commission has designated most of Blair County and northern Bedford County as a "Disease Management Area." Any feeding of wild deer within the DMA is illegal.

Putting out small amounts of food to enhance opportunities for wildlife viewing probably is not too detrimental. But attempting to attract too many animals into too small an area, especially in wintertime, is unwise for many reasons. Even moderate feeding can be harmful if what is being provided doesn't offer the proper nutrition.

Therefore, it pays to learn a little about the nutritional requirements of the wildlife you wish to attract. For instance, supplying mineral supplements to deer is probably more beneficial to them this time of year than most conventional food. And having the proper amount of minerals in their diet promotes better antler growth for bucks and healthier does better able to care for the fawns they will birth this spring.

The best and most beneficial way to attract wildlife to your property year-round is to plant things that will supply the natural food and cover. And many of the wildflowers, shrubs and trees that will provide food and shelter to everything from butterflies to deer can be beautiful and add much aesthetic value to your property as well.

With spring not that far away, now is a good time to do some homework about what plants would be a good fit for the wildlife in your backyard. Several good places to start learning about plantings for wildlife are the websites of the National Wild Turkey Federation (www.nwtf.org), the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (www.dcnr.state.pa.us) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

[fmscan]

Mojo, Thank you for such knowledgeable posts.

I have been told that gmo corn left standing will attract deer in the winter, however, it is just about the last thing they need in a cold winter. It raises the metabolism artificially, much like a coke and fries would do for you. This biologist thought that winter supplements in fields should be clover and alfalfa, but he was nervous about the Roundup ready alfalfa that is going take over.

[nleroux2]

If you feel you must feed, feed grass hay only. I lived on a large ranch as a kid, and we fenced around our hay stacks to keep deer out. Very rarely, if we had plenty, and the snow was exceptional, we would put out extra hay and the deer ate with the cattle. Never grain.

[kagross]

Don't feed them, and never loose corn. I'll say again, NEVER loose corn.  Rumen acidosis can kill them.
For kicks, a bale of orchard grass or timothy here and there is ok, but not a regular thing. Don't feed, just treat.

[NBK]

Thanks mojo, I learned I something tonight.

[kstout]

I've cut about 50 aspen, and red maple trees down in the last month,as well as some oak, and ash, and the deer are really eating the tops of these.  In the spring i'll cut the logs for firewood, but thought the deer could use the browse now, with about 30" of snow on the ground.