Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

of the year as a comparable type forest located in the Coastal Plain.
Likewise, a property with a diversity of cover types and ages in the
Coastal Plain may have a much higher carrying capacity for whitetails
than a mature hardwood forest in the Major Floodplains and Terraces.
Fortunately, many habitat management techniques are available that
can improve the quality of deer habitat in almost any situation.
White-tailed deer are browsers. This means they feed primarily
on the leaves and twigs of shrubs, woody vines, and young trees
(seedlings). When available, deer also will feed heavily on weeds, various
grasses, mushrooms, and assorted soft and hard mast (fruits). The
large majority of these preferred deer foods are considered early or midsuccessional
plant species. Many are not found at all or are only found
in small numbers in more mature forests. Sunlight must be able to
reach the forest floor for these important food plants to exist in significant
quantities. Many habitat management techniques used to improve
deer habitat focus on allowing more sunlight to reach the ground, which
results in greater production of the more desirable deer foods. As discussed
earlier, the quantity, quality, and species of plants available
following any habitat improvement depends largely on the property’s
soil types.
Another thing to remember when managing deer habitat is a
food source is of no value to a deer if it is much over four feet above the
forest floor. Some preferred browse species, such as Japanese honeysuckle,
greenbriar, and rattan vine, may be present in large quantities
in a middle-aged forest. Browse growing ten to twelve feet up the trunks
of the trees are well out of a deer’s reach. By implementing one of a
variety of habitat improvement techniques, not only can the productiv-
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