Ask The Biologist

Supplemental Winter Feeding

Supplemental Winter Feeding

By Bob Humphrey

QUESTION: We had a really bad winter up our way, and a number of folks I know put out food to help the deer survive. A bunch of deer were found dead in my town, and the state says it was due to feeding. How is this possible? — Brian A., South Hampton, N.H.

ANSWER: This is a topic we’ve covered before on the web and in Buckmasters Magazine, but it is obviously worth repeating. Sometimes the road to disaster is paved with good intentions. Supplemental winter feeding can be beneficial, but only if done the right way. If done improperly, it can be extremely harmful, as illustrated by the example you mentioned.

White-tailed deer have a complex digestive system, the foundation of which is the microorganisms (beneficial rumen bacteria) that help break down plant matter into a more digestible form. These micro-fauna change gradually as the deer’s natural diet changes with the seasons.

By late winter, their diet consists largely of coarse woody browse, which is very difficult to digest. A sudden change to foods high in carbohydrates (like corn or deer pellets) causes a rapid change in stomach chemistry, which disrupts and even destroy the microorganisms. It’s a bit like running your chain saw on pure, un-mixed gas. Without the proper digestive microorganisms, a deer can literally die of starvation with a full stomach.

I did a little follow-up on your case and learned that evidence from necropsy suggested the deer all had died from complications due to feeding. Of those that were aged and sexed, two were adult bucks (one estimated at 5 1/2 years old), three were adult does and five were fawns. Two of the adult does were pregnant, one with twins.

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd