What are whitetails eating in the wild areas?

RoscoeT

RoscoeT

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My usual deer hunting plans have gone sideways this year.

Usually I hit the mule deer in agricultural areas but this year it seems I'm going to be after whitetails in more of a wilder setting.

Now one of the most basic principles of hunting anything is knowing what the food source is. In agricultural areas this is pretty easy to determine but I have no idea what wild whitetails are eating in Alberta.

Everything I read is from the states and talks about acorns, apples and hickory nuts. Well, that's no help here.


Are they just going to graze for clover or what?

Advice… Other than shooting one and gutting him to find out what he’s been into?
 
look for clearcuts or other open areas were vegetation can get light and grow faster and more lush than heavy forested areas. Also watch for water source especially in a dry year. Wild vetch and other high energy plants also attract wildlife.
 
deadhead said:
look for clearcuts or other open areas were vegetation can get light and grow faster and more lush than heavy forested areas. Also watch for water source especially in a dry year. Wild vetch and other high energy plants also attract wildlife.
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I was more interested in their specific diet. What else do they eat?

Wild vetch? is that this stuff?
http://www.mountainnature.com/Plants/PlantsLatinNameResult.asp?ID=214&fCommonName=Wild+Vetch&LatinName=Vicia+americana
 
They're a ruminant. Here's wikipedea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer

The WT I've shot, "in the wilder area's", stomachs were stuffed full of green grass. I've also seen them lick the blood at the base of the tree where I had their cousin hanging in gamebags. :)
 
If it is before the first couple of frosts they eat a lot of clover. Look for pipe lines, cut lines, cut blocks and stuff like that, the ground needs to be open enough for stuff to grow. Don't bother too much with power lines as they are sprayed with herbicide and deer feed on them less than you think.



After a few frosts and/or snow (even while there is still some green on the ground) the deer swtch from grazing to brousing. Look for the cut blocks, cut lines, pipelines with lots of saplings growing about 4-8 feet high that provide food and cover. Avoid cut blocks that have been sprayed with herbicide at all costs. Almost nothing will feed in them. You can reconize them by all the dead-dried out saplings standing here and there and the dominance of pine or spruce.
 
The farm crop is the deers back yard. They know where the best meal is, even if it changes from year to year. When the crops come off, they go back to forest food, that is what to watch for. Early grouse season is a good opportunity to get out scouting for the deer runs, before the season opens and the rifle shooting starts. A small advantage to some, is a big advantage to others.
 
C'mon guys, the question came from Alberta! There are no apples, soybeans, acorns, cedar, or beechnuts in Alberta. In Alberta, as in Saskatchewan, forest whitetails in summer will eat mostly forbs, including legumes like vetch and clover. They don't eat much grass. The diet will change after the first frosts, and fallen aspen leaves are an important food source then. Later after the first snows the diet can include browse such as red-osier dogwood and Saskatoon berry bushes, snowberry and hazelnut.
 
Depends on what area your in. The deer down near Medecine Hat will be feeding on different fodder than the ones up in Peace River.
The coolest thing I ever discovered was driving around with a 1000000 candle power spot light, before season opener. Without a gun of course. You get to see what fields/bush you have to ask permission to hunt in!!
 
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