Ron George Deer numbers and physical condition can be limited by the available food supply. A knowledge of the food habits and preferences of white-tailed deer would allow landowners and deer managers to manipulate conditions to benefit important plant species.
Preferred foods vary throughout the white-tailed deer range in Texas.
In the Cross Timbers and Prairies Region, deer food habits on two major soil types supporting different plant regimes will be compared by site and seasonality of use. Rumen samples were collected from five white-tailed deer during May, August, and November 1996 and February 1997 on each of the six study sites located in Bosque, Brown, Jack, Erath, Parker, and Wise Counties. Data was collected on age, weight, sex, date of collection, locality, body condition, antler measurements, pregnancy, number of fetuses and lactation. Other data collected included blood samples, ectoparasites, rumen fluid, rumen contents, and internal parasites. Vegetative transects were used to sample herbaceous and woody vegetation on each study site.