Whitetail Guru's a question for ya.

[Gottabow]

Will Whitetails eat Aquatic plants..that is wade into a Lake,River or Stream and feed on them..something like a Moose would do? I'm talking like once in awhile when food is limited.

[oldtimerbow]

I have seen them in the middle of the summer doing this.

[Bill Carlsen]

All I can say is I  have never seen it. When food is scarcest is in winter around here and all the aquatic plants are dead or frozen. When food around here is scarce in Winter they will eat the bark off of hemlock trees.

[Orion]

I've seen them feeding on aquatic plants in Northern Wisconsin lakes in the summer many times.

[WESTBROOK]

I've seen them feeding on aquatic plants in Northern Wisconsin lakes in the summer many times

...or they were out there dunkin there heads to get away from them big Wisconsin skeeters N such.

Eric

[Whip]

We have a small pond behind our house and frequently see deer feeding on aquatic plants during the summer. They will wade right in, stick their heads completely under water, and pull up a big mouthful of goodies.

[kuch]

Not exactly pertaining to your question....but in college , my class was at a bird banding station in the western PA mountains and the biologist there said in bad winters , they had to quickly remove the birds from the nets .....because the deer would  eat them. We questioned him but he was adamant. So .....when starving ....??

[Bowwild]

I'm sure they will eat some water plants but I have never seen it or even heard of it.  I do know that in the spring when plants have more water content a deer's craving for salt is highest. (Research done by Dr. Micky Weeks from Purdue in the 80's.)

This would make me think that aquatic vegetation might cause a salt deficiency.

The bird note above is interesting.  I wonder if the calcium salt in the bones and salt in the blood have anything to do with a deer's interest in these fowl?

[Bobby Urban]

I have heard of whitetails eating baby birds and have witnessed them pulling cattails out of the mud and eating them.  Not exactly sticking their heads under water but certainly close.

[Jerry Jeffer]

 

 

[Warden609]

I have seen it myself,but those pictures say it all. Very nice Jerry Jeffer!!!

[Gottabow]

Thanks guys..I was wondering about the rivers and such here in Wisconsin and the hard Winters and was just wondering if they would resort to it in tough times.

[Roger Norris]

Yep. They have also been seen eating alewives on the  shorelines of Lake Michigan

[DWT]

Roger, I was just going to mention that fact. Strangest thing ive seen them eat is pine needles, they cant be that good.

[olddogrib]

I don't see it often, but many years ago during an early cold snap in October the temperature dropped into the teens and I saw a herd of does and yearlings standing in the New River (Blue Ridge Mtns.) picking at the vegetation growing on the rocks.  These are long streamers of some type of aquatic vegetation that start growing in the shallows in early summer when the water temps rise. I hate the stuff because it signals the end of good smallmouth fishing, because everything gets tangled in it!

[Cory Mattson]

Yes I see deer eat aquatic plants in summer SC
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[Mojostick]

I think I've seen it once. About 10 years ago I saw a doe in our pond that waded out to about mid-body depth and was really lapping up water. I assumed she was drinking, but looking at the pics posted here, I wonder if she was vacuuming up algae? It sure looks similar.

[kuch]

very cool pics, Jerry.

[Robertfishes]

I've seen them feeding in the lakes and ponds here in Florida.. even with gators nearby..

[grouseshooter002]

I use to have an old doe that would come to our pond each evening during the summer and eat cattails. She would put her head under and get the cattails by the root and eat the whole thing. I have also seen them in the river near home up to their heads and I always surmised that they were trying to avoid the flies.

Regards,
Rick