Get Started Early
Start your feeding program early in the winter, even better yet, during the fall, when deer are still healthy. Waiting until they are starving before providing supplemental feed can hasten starvation through stress related to sudden diet change.
Use Multiple Locations
Distribute supplemental feed in multiple locations to reduce competition among deer and reduce potential for the spread of disease.
Protect The Feed
Use feeders that protect feed from the elements. Otherwise, feed may spoil and deer may reject spoiled food, or may ingest potentially fatal toxins.
Stick with it
Once you begin providing supplemental winter feed, deer quickly become dependent on it and will remain reliant until spring greenery emerges.
For more GameKeeper tips on supplemental feeding read “5 Reasons Supplemental Feed Should Be A Part Of Your Whitetail Management Plan.” For land and property managers trying to get the most out of their deer herd, food plots have proven to be a great way to increase the overall nutrition needed for optimal growth. Along with quality food plots, a supplemental feeding program can really help your deer reach their genetic potential.
This article is courtesy of the GameKeepers Farming for Wildlife publication, a quarterly wildlife and land management magazine produced by the Mossy Oak GameKeepers. For more information on subscribing or joining visit Mossy Oak GameKeepers Club.
