Nutrition Important for Post Rut Bucks

The new year is an opportunity for many of us to make a resolution to consume less and exercise more. Bucks, on the other hand, have a resolution of eating more and moving less. They are acquiring food in an effort to gain weight they lost in November and December when locating and chasing females. Bucks can lose as much as 30% of their body weight during the breeding season or rut. The constant amount of movement at the end of the year causes most bucks to be in poor body condition during January and February. This time of year is the most stressful for a buck in his adult life, therefore his priority is locating easily accessible food.

This is where management can help in providing food to assist bucks for weight gain. Habitat is the most critical component in nutrition. Ranches that have greater plant and habitat diversity provide deer more food options in meeting their nutritional requirements.

However, our lack of rain has provided poor food availability. As a result supplemental feed in the form of cottonseed or pelleted feed can assist with weight gain. Any supplemental feed with a minimum of 14-16% crude protein can meet a buck’s nutritional requirement.

Supplemental feeding of white-tailed deer provides easily accessible dietary energy when vegetation consumed by deer is in short supply. During droughts supplemental feeding provides a nutritional bridge for deer to improve or maintain body condition. Other benefits of supplemental feeding are increase in body weights, reduced mortality of post-rut bucks, and greater fawn survival as a result of improved female body condition. When antler growth begins supplemental feeding can also aid in antler development.

When considering the cost and benefits of implementing a feeding program the amount of consumption is important. On average a free ranging white-tailed deer will consume between 2-4 pounds per day. To get an idea of cost per day, acquire an estimate of the deer densities across your area. When considering a deer per 10 acres on a 500-acre property; the estimated total consumption of feed per day is at least 100 pounds. Looking at feed prices, that’s about $26 per day and greater than $750 for one month. It’s now easy to see how expensive feeding can become. Large ranches may have annual budgets that are hundreds of thousands of dollars for supplemental feeding. It’s amazing how fast the numbers add up, which is an important consideration when considering a supplemental feeding program.

Finally, supplemental feeding is not a silver bullet that will solve all problems. Habitat is crucial and should be an important management consideration when planning supplemental feeding. Certainly, any supplemental feeding at this time will certainly help with improving body condition due to our habitat and ranch conditions.