![]() This stress can last throughout the winter as deer are constantly trying to catch up, always trying to find enough food to sustain them through these difficult times. Bucks that survived the hunting season face the prospect of many difficult months with poor forage and the constant caloric burden of maintaining body heat. It is important, however, not to forget about managing your deer herd during the winter months. At that point many deer managers are waiting for spring, looking forward to hunting for shed antlers, planting food plots, and warmer weather. ![]() In northern regions the days are short and temperatures are low. The hunting season has ended, the deer are tagged and processed, and the snow and cold weather have come. The Importance of a Winter Food Source for Whitetailsįor deer managers, winter is largely ignored. Extremely harsh winters can make it impossible for bucks to gain back the body mass lost during the rut, leading to increased risk of disease or predation or, in some cases, death. Already depleted and worn down from breeding activity, bucks face the prospect of surviving the difficult winter months with a limited supply of food. In northern climates snow covers much of the ground after the end of the rut, making it even more difficult to find food. With the exception of the brief period of intense energy expenditure during the rut, there is no more stressful time in the life of a whitetail buck than winter. These plots are generally maintained through the beginning of the hunting season, but when the bucks are beginning to think about does and hunters are preparing to pursue bucks, food plot maintenance typically dwindles. The weather is pleasant and the anticipation of the fall hunting season serves as the necessary motivation to plant food plots. Most deer managers are more than willing to plant their plots in the spring and summer. Whether it’s planted in a food plot, or fed at a feeding site, corn can be a great benefit to whitetails during winter. Although corn has poor protein, it has high carbohydrates. When the rut ends bucks are left depleted going into the leanest time of year. So weight loss can be significant as the demands of the season take their toll. Bucks that have survived to the beginning of winter have undergone the trying weeks of chasing does, fighting with other bucks and because their single focus is finding and breeding as many does as possible they stop eating, their food intake can be reduced 90% during this period. The events that occur annually in a deer’s life cycle (antler formation and release and increased testosterone levels in bucks and the estrus cycle in does) are directly related to pineal gland activity and length of days more than any other single factor.Īs the rut winds down and hunting season draws to a close, bucks begin trying to regain some of the body mass that was lost during the stress of the rut. Much of the whitetails’ annual cycle is related to the length of day and the resulting effect on the deer’s pineal gland, which regulates hormone levels in the body. Mature bucks are healthy and fat at the beginning of the rut, using their stores of energy to survive the demanding weeks that follow as they chase does, fight with other bucks and remain on the move both day and night. During the rut most bucks will dramatically decrease food intake, in addition to spending tremendous amounts of energy chasing does.Īs the rut nears, bucks shift their focus from feeding to patrolling their territory and waiting for the first does to come into estrus. As hunters are clearing shooting lanes, sighting in bows, checking game cameras and hanging stands, at the same time whitetail bucks are busy feeding on high-energy foods like legumes, acorns, and cultivated crops to pack on the additional 30 pounds or so that will be required to last them through the rut. If you are serious about manufacturing healthy deer herds then consider a supplemental winter deer feeding program.Īutumn is a busy time for both deer and deer hunters. When hunting season draws to a close some tend to forget that the hardest season of the year for whitetails has just begun. Brad Fitzpatrick | Originally published in GameKeepers: Farming for Wildlife Magazine Winter: The Hardest Season of the Year
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |