An adult deer requires 5 to 10 pounds of green forage each day, depending on body size and season. An adult deer drinks about 3 quarts of water daily, but the amount depends on the type of food eaten. Much of the needed water may be obtained from the foods they eat. The number of points on the antlers is not a reliable indication of age. Tooth examination is the only reliable method for estimating a harvested deer's age.
Body features allow field estimation of a deer's age while still alive.
Management Deer management is a complex field. Habitat management and harvest regulations are necessary requirements for deer management. In well-protected areas where habitat is good, deer numbers will increase beyond what the habitat can support. The only way to control a deer herd and keep it within its food supply is to harvest adequate numbers of does along with bucks. It is no more practical to keep all the does on a well-stocked deer range than it is to keep all the heifers in a beef cattle herd.