Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

and even fawn production—will be, on average, significantly greater
than in areas that provide only quantities of reduced quality forage.
Deer managers must remember deer feed to heights of about
four feet and below. Deer rely heavily on low growing plants, grasses,
and forbs for food, as well as certain forest understory tree and shrub
species. Deer select food items by smell and deer range through their
habitat smelling, tasting, and eating the most preferred food items. Deer
prefer the young, tender leaves, buds, and shoots of newly emerging
spring plants. These plants are higher in nutritive value and more
digestible during this initial growth stage. As these plants mature,
they become less palatable to the deer. Often, in the late summer when
native browse species have become dry and tough, deer shift their feeding
activity to agricultural crops if available. Deer also feed in wet
areas where plant species may still be tender and succulent.
In late summer and early fall, deer often begin feeding on the
berries and fruits of various plant species. These fruits often are higher
in nutritive value and far more palatable than the leaves and twigs of
the plant. Deer use taste to discriminate among acorns of certain oak
species. Acorns from white oak species seem to be preferred over acorns
from the red or black oak family. White oak acorns usually have less
tannic acid than those of the red or black oaks and are thought to be
more palatable. However, deer readily will use the mast of almost any
oak species.
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