Top Foods By Region Via QDMA Study

[jlh42581]

http://www.qdma.com/what-we-do/articles ... eer-foods/

Food studies have identified several hundred plant species that deer will consume during the course of a year. Some are used seasonally, some only when little else is available, and some are preferred regardless of season and other species’ availability. As deer managers, it is important to understand the preferred forages where you live and/or hunt, and while learning everything deer eat in your area is a daunting task, the QDMA has just made it a little easier.

Whitetails eat a variety of plant types such as trees, shrubs, herbaceous forages (forbs), and agricultural crops. Most hunters can easily identify the agricultural crops in their area, and they are well versed in which ones deer prefer. Many hunters can also readily identify the predominant tree species in their area that deer use, but far fewer hunters can identify the important shrub and herbaceous species where they hunt. Therefore, the QDMA surveyed every state and provincial deer project leader and asked them to provide 10 of the top naturally occurring native herbaceous and shrub species that whitetails use in their jurisdiction.

We received a species list from about half of the states and from six of eight provinces that we surveyed. Some lists were current and others included data from past studies. We combined states into three regions – Midwest, Northeast, Southeast – and created regional lists of important shrub and herbaceous deer foods (unfortunately we only received data from two states west of the plains). The species in these lists (see table) are arranged alphabetically, and only some were selected based on scientific analyses. Most were identified by the state/province’s deer biologist as species commonly eaten by deer in their jurisdiction. I present this data only on an informational basis, but strongly encourage deer hunters and managers to learn to identify (and in many cases promote) the species listed for their region. Additional information is provided below, including five more “notable” species for each region.

Some species are region specific while others are used across much of the whitetail’s range. For example, brambles (blackberry, etc.) were reported as an important deer forage in all three U.S. regions and in Canada. Grapes and greenbriar were listed as top forages in all three U.S. regions, and poison ivy, ragweed and wild rose were listed in two of three U.S. regions (wild rose was also listed in Canada).

Midwest – We received data from 4 states (IL, IN, KS, KY). Brambles and grape were most often reported. Coralberry, dogwoods, greenbriar, Illinois bundleflower, ragweed, trumpet creeper, wild lettuce and wild rose were also important species. Other notable plants included asters, plums, pokeweed, sumac and trillium.

Northeast – We received data from 4 states (ME, NH, NJ, PA). Bracken fern, brambles, grape and greenbriar were reported by multiple states. Canada mayflower, jewelweed, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, wild rose and wild sarsaparilla were also important species. Other notable plants included blue bead lily, goldenrod, plantain, sumac and winterberry.

Southeast – We received data from 9 states (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, OK, SC, TN, TX). Brambles, grape, greenbriar, honeysuckle (primarily the native coral, but also non-native Japanese/white) and ragweed were listed by nearly every responding state. Pokeweed and strawberry bush were listed by about half of the states, and American beautyberry, beggar’s lice and poison ivy were also listed by a third of the states. Other notable plants included Alabama supplejack, devil’s walking stick, Florida pusley, old field aster and trumpet creeper.

Canada – We received data from 6 provinces (BC, MB, NS, ON, QC, SK). Asters, brambles, choke cherry, fireweed, pondweed, snowberry, sow thistle, trillium, Virginian strawberry and wild rose were all reported from more than one province. Other notable plants included Canada mayflower, jewelweed, lupines, ragweed and wild lettuce.


Region Common Name Latin Name

Midwest

brambles (blackberry, etc.) Rubus spp.
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
dogwoods Cornus spp.
grape Vitis spp.
greenbriar Smilax rotundifolia
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis
ragweed Ambrosia spp.
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans
wild lettuce Lactuca virosa
wild rose Rosa acicularis

Northeast

bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum
brambles (blackberry, etc.) Rubus spp.
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
grape Vitis spp.
greenbriar Smilax rotundifolia
jewelweed Impatiens capensis
poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
wild rose Rosa acicularis
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis

Southeast

American beautyberry Callicarpa americana
beggar’s lice Desmodium obtusum
brambles (blackberry, etc.) Rubus spp.
grape Vitis spp.
greenbriar Smilax rotundifolia
honeysuckle Lonicera spp.
poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
pokeweed Phytolacca americana
ragweed Ambrosia spp.
strawberry bush Euonymus americanus

Canada

asters Aster spp.
brambles (blackberry, etc.) Rubus spp.
chokecherry Prunus virginiana
fireweed Epilobium angustifolium
pondweed Potemomgeton spp.
snowberry Symphoricarpos albus
sow thistle Sonchus spp.
trillium Trillium spp.
Virginia strawberry Fragaria spp.
wild rose Rosa acicularis

The species included in the table above should not be viewed as the “10 most important” herbaceous and shrub species for each region. Some, such as trillium, are highly preferred and may only be found in areas of low deer density. Others, such as bracken fern, may only be selected in areas of high deer density when more preferred species are unavailable. However, these species should be viewed as important deer foods to identify and monitor. Numerous manuals are available to help with identification such as Weeds of the Northeast, Weeds of the South, Weeds of the Midwestern States and Central Canada, Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses, and Trees and Shrubs. These manuals are readily available and would make a great addition to your library. Start learning the species now and you’ll be ready to identify them (and many others) when they start growing in the spring. Good luck!

Kip’s Korner is written by Kip Adams, a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Director of Education and Outreach for the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA).

[Singing Bridge]

A worthwhile post, thanks for taking the time to put it up.

Buck, Bear or Fish- I examine the stomach contents to get raw data in my areas. Typically local biologists maintain lists of whitetail browse species that are extensive, even more detailed than what we have here. Many times they are listed by whitetail preference, for example Type I, Type II and Type III browse types. Type I meaning those that offer deer the most nutritional value while type III are eaten by deer but only under stress.

Even this can be misleading, however. For example, in Michigan white cedar is listed as a Type I browse species... which it is during part of fall and especially during winter- where it may become a staple for countless deer in northern regions. White cedar is the only browse a whitetail can eat by itself, in exclusion to all other browse and food types, and survive the northern winters without starving to death... assuming that enough white cedar is available to them.

During the late spring, summer and most of fall, the deer seem to avoid white cedar in my areas... their time of having to eat it will arrive soon enough. I gutted one buck that had a stomach stuffed with white cedar in late October, which is the earliest I have personally witnessed its presence.

[Zap]

Here is a good link with pics of some of those plants.

http://www.gpnc.org/coralber.htm