1. Group 10

2.  Grasses and grass-like plants  Forbaceous plants  Weeds  Browse  Leaves and twigs of woody plants  Fruits of woody plants

3.  Just because it’s green does not mean its good deer feed  Grasses such as coastal bermuda offer little nutrition to Whitetails  Grasses  High fiber content  Less digestible to deer

4.  Only a small portion of the diet is grass  Grass intake occurs in early spring and late winter  New emerged or developed grass shoots are more digestible  Exceptions  Wheat, oats, rye, and ryegrass and other grain plants

5.  In all areas deer prefer forbaceous plants (weeds)  Highly nutritious and easily digestible  Nutritional value depends on weather or environmental conditions  Weeds are usually high in protein  Up to 35% protein  High in phosphorous and some vitamins

6.  Browse is the base in most deer diets  Includes the leaves and twigs of woody plants  Lower in quality than weeds but more dependable and available  Types of woody plants  Determinant  Indeterminate

7.  Determinant  Growth usually occurs in spring and fall  After original growth, young, tender shoots appear  Indeterminate  Growth is continuous  Usually affected by rainfall  New growth after rain period

8.  Mast – hard and soft fruits of woody plants  Includes acorns, pecans, berries, and grapes  Seasonable  Counted on for supplement to diet

9.  Mast is usually important in colder months  Used as an energy source  Acorns  High in fats and carbohydrates  Low in protein  Corn  Attractant  Energy source

10.  An attempt to supplement the quality and perhaps the quantity of available native forages  Shouldn’t be intended to be replace native forage  Popular with hunters and land owners

11.  Protein  Energy  Phosphorous  Calcium

12.  Even in well managed herds, some component may be the limiting factor in reaching potential  Supplemental feeding helps reduce the negative impact of limiting factors  Population control  Habitat management

13.  Feeding  Food plots  Mineral supplements

14.  Feed requirements are different than those of other animals  Corn  High in energy  Low in protein (7-9%)  Low in certain amino acids  Useful when carbohydrates and fat are needed  Consumed late fall and winter

15.  Pellet Feeds  High in protein (16%+)  2:1 calcium: phosphorus ratio  Essential vitamins and other nutrients  Carbohydrates and fats are added to supply energy  Pellets don't stand up to weather  Feeders  Should provide dry storage  Should not limit access – especially to bucks  Reduce possibility of spoilage or pest problems

16.  Plant species should match climate and soil  Adjust soil for pH and nutrients (NPK)  There is no one single plant variety for every situation or climate  Avoid  Varieties claimed to grow in all conditions  Varieties promising to solve all deer nutritional problems

17.  Choose plants and plant them based on their best growing season potential  Determine what season is most critical for nutritional stress  Make sure feed provides correct nutrients when needed  16% protein  2:1 Ca: P ratio

18.  Cost consideration  Monitor cost of product  Competition with native vegetation  Cost of controlling undesirable vegetation

19.  Cereal grains and legumes can be combined  Legumes such as alfalfa should be planted in areas where adequate water is available  Cereal grains and clovers have less chance of winter kill  Summer Plantings  High yield potential  Highly nutritious  In dry weather they do not produce vegetative growth because they are usually eaten quickly

20.  Peas  In favorable years plants mature and then deer consume entire plants rapidly  Usually a short-term feed  Summer clovers and legumes  Type depends on geographic region  Alyce clover, sweet clover, and red clover are good choices

21.  Divide food plot in half  Half cool season  Half warm season  Include a year-round supplemental food  Plant a small plot test to assess varieties and management  Always soil test

22.  Large quantities of salt are not healthy for deer  Critical supplements are calcium and phosphorous  Deer are not likely to lick mineral blocks  More likely to lick loose mineral off the ground