- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Better feed those deer--the drought has been tough
Posted on 11/6/23 at 2:53 pm
Posted on 11/6/23 at 2:53 pm
I am just going by what I see on my land. The deer are thin and the does have what appear to me to be underdeveloped fawns still by their sides.
There are no acorns on the trees around me. The browse is limited and the food sources are just not good enough to carry the same population they carried last year and the year before.
There are no acorns on the trees around me. The browse is limited and the food sources are just not good enough to carry the same population they carried last year and the year before.
Posted on 11/6/23 at 3:13 pm to I B Freeman
The ones I've seen on camera look like this as well.
Posted on 11/6/23 at 3:39 pm to I B Freeman
Yeah, this dude is skinny
Posted on 11/6/23 at 3:40 pm to WhuckFistle
Looks like a Christmas ham
Posted on 11/6/23 at 3:52 pm to I B Freeman
No amount of supplemental feeding this late in the game is going to make a difference, you’d need to be bringing in pallets of protein a week. This has been tough on the fawn crop, but that’s how deer manage their density if you haven’t been doing it for them so now is the time to be looking at doe harvest numbers hard. Similar to the hard freeze a few years ago, this next spring is when habitat improvement and warm season plots can pay dividends with a smaller number of deer.
Posted on 11/6/23 at 3:52 pm to Purple Spoon
The Doe I killed this year in SW Louisiana piney woods had more fat than what I normally see on deer in this area. Like most of the state, this area is very dry and very little water for the deer to drink.
I remember reading that deer get something like 80% of their water from the browse that they eat. But in this drought, I would think the plants don't have the normal amount of water in them.
I remember reading that deer get something like 80% of their water from the browse that they eat. But in this drought, I would think the plants don't have the normal amount of water in them.
Posted on 11/6/23 at 4:17 pm to gerald65
quote:
more fat than
My dad said the spike I killed on October 15th had more fat than he’s ever seen on a deer. He’s been hunting and killing at least a deer a year on the same family property for longer than the 40 years I’ve been alive. It’s swamp, but it’s been dry this year so everything not wet grew grass. Also had vines of wild peas on everything.
Posted on 11/7/23 at 8:00 am to I B Freeman
I just put out two bags of corn and two bags rice bran yesterday.
$45.00 - they gonna be on diet at those prices
$45.00 - they gonna be on diet at those prices
Posted on 11/7/23 at 9:04 am to I B Freeman
It's got to be a stress on the herd, no doubt. If you put corn out they will hammer it. I'm also seeing more deer crossing the roads than usual. My theory is that they need to travel more for resources. At least in our piney woods. No mast on the ground, poor browse, and dry creeks. Find water and put out corn. It'll be an interesting year.
Posted on 11/7/23 at 9:25 am to I B Freeman
Yep. When we put out the corn and set the camera, we had pics of the deer eating before we even got home. Now we have a young bear camping out at another feeder.
The browse isn't as lush as normal so the animals are hungrier this year.
The browse isn't as lush as normal so the animals are hungrier this year.
Posted on 11/7/23 at 9:26 am to EarlyBird
I run 4 free choice feeders that are hog proof and haven't been hit by a bear yet. Seem to be pretty raccoon proof too. Have cameras on them as well. I've put over a ton of corn through them in less than 3 weeks. Deer are stacked up on them.
Posted on 11/7/23 at 10:47 am to I B Freeman
A bit of rain coming this week should make the plots jump for those who planted, and they will hammer them. I have 2 creeks on my place so lots of bottoms where browse is relatively healthy. 15 acres of sawtooths without an acorn, very small acorns on water oaks and few white oaks I’ve seen so far.
Deer that I’m seeing on camera seem to be doing fine. The only corn I’ve put out in last 15 years has been to trap pigs in Jager Pro trap. Almost 1200 pigs so far.
Deer that I’m seeing on camera seem to be doing fine. The only corn I’ve put out in last 15 years has been to trap pigs in Jager Pro trap. Almost 1200 pigs so far.
Posted on 11/7/23 at 10:50 am to EarlyBird
Im also seeing many more deer moving in the middle of the day than I’m used to.
Posted on 11/13/23 at 7:53 am to I B Freeman
When I filled my feeders and flipped on the cell camera in September, the does and younguns coming in all had their ribs showing. Evidently briars and privet (the only thing green with the drought) weren’t very nutritious. They look marginally better now, evidently eating what few acorns there are. Curious about how this year’s acorn crops in various places look.
Posted on 11/13/23 at 8:45 am to Icansee4miles
quote:
Evidently briars and privet (the only thing green with the drought) weren’t very nutritious.
Yes and no, neither one is likely their first choice but can be good browse and a big component of their diet, especially briar on typical pine landscape. Like anything else it’s just gonna depend on rainfall, everything grows when it gets water. If given the option deer will browse the new end growth on anything first, which is the most palatable and nutritious to them. If forced to they work down to the older leaves and stems, which becomes harder and less nutritious the drier it gets. When feeding over the summer it’s a night and day difference in camera traffic, have a good rain and they won’t touch the feeder for a week. It gets dry enough, they’ll empty it in three days.
Posted on 11/13/23 at 1:22 pm to TheDrunkenTigah
speaking of acorn (someone mentioned them), I have a white oak next to a food plot and underneath the tree there is not hardly any bare ground that isn't covered in acorns.
It's incredible. I meant to take a pic but I had just found an arrowhead and completely forgot to.
Never seen so many.
It's incredible. I meant to take a pic but I had just found an arrowhead and completely forgot to.
Never seen so many.
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News