Are they Habits?

When it comes to deer, and their foraging preferences, I believe there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. I suspect, like many things, we know less than we think we know. Hopefully, with some humility and a close look at creation at work, we will learn more.

For wildlife management, food plots are good and meet a specific need, but one thing I’ve learned is  it doesn’t replace habitat management with a focus on diversity. Deer, like many browsers, grazers, and other foraging animals, respond to many different plants at many different stages of maturity and at different times of the year depending on dietary needs. I think they have a built in sense for this.  I believe that when certain minerals in their body are lacking, they adjust, targeting certain plants at different times to meet that need. They also get that when certain plants are at different stages, they just plain taste better.

The picture below is of a compassplant on our farm that has just been shredded apart by a deer. Why? I don’t know, but I have a hunch there was a specific dietary need that was met by this plant at that specific time. I think the takeaway message is this:

When managing for deer, wildlife in general, or even livestock –

Diversity is good!