Written by: Kevin Owens

Edits by: Pierce Young

Summer months are vital for the health, reproduction, and survival of white-tailed deer. During this time, deer undergo significant physiological changes that make proper nutrition essential. As summer progresses nutrients of plants often decrease as nutrient requirements of deer increases. Management, or lack thereof, of summer nutrition can often make or break the quality of the next generation of deer.

Importance of Summer Nutrition for Deer:

Doe Lactation: Summer nutrition is one of the most important factors in deer management as it relates to the doe population. Does need adequate resources for nutrition during the Summer to recover from the winter and put on body fat for a successful pregnancy. After birthing fawns, protein requirements to support adequate lactation can increase by 800%. Typically in Mississippi this is during the late-Summer stress period. The health of the does during Summer directly correlates with the health of the next generation of deer in that area.

Fawn Development: Late-Summer vegetation supports rapid growth of fawns as they transition from nursing to foraging, with access to high-quality forage being crucial for their development. The nutrition they receive during this time often influences their body size and antler growth (for bucks) the rest of their life.

Antler Development: Bucks rely on nutrients to grow strong antlers. Antlers are made of 50-70% of organic matter, which is made of protein, that can be gained from vegetation. This growth starts as soon as the buck's shed their antlers, and ends in early-Fall.

Managing for Summer Nutrition:

Native Vegetation Diversity: Ensure a diverse habitat with a variety of native browse and forbs to provide a natural source of food.

Growing Season Fires:  Conducting growing season burns during early-to-mid-Summer can provide a major benefit by shifting the timing of when native plants re-emerge while providing a pulse of high-quality nutrition at a large scale at a critical time for deer.

Food Plots: Consider planting summer food plots with legumes like clover, jointvetch, alyceclover, soybeans, and cowpeas, which are high in protein and readily available to deer. 

Soil Management: Conduct soil tests to ensure proper nutrient levels for healthy plant growth in food plots. If the nutrients aren't making it to the plant, they aren't making it into the deer.

 

For more information on wildlife management visit our webpage at

mdwfp.com/wildlife-management-info