Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
12-10-2006, 09:07 AM
#11
Host of Hosts
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,780
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
When I saw the title, I fogged up my glasses laughing!!!!
(They're anti-glare glasses, for computer only.)
(They're anti-glare glasses, for computer only.)
Can you elaborate or is that all you got. If you notice it is a question.
12-10-2006, 09:50 AM
#13
Host of Hosts
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Erie, Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,780
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
OK this is getting interesting to me. I'm doing some searchers on this topic and most State agencies are advising against deer feeding in the winter months. I'm more for than against this practice because I have a new feeder and camera ready to go, but just thought I'd look into it. Here is what New Jerseysays about it. And here's a link to others.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife strongly encourages New Jerseyans to avoid feeding wildlife during the winter period and throughout the year. Under most conditions winter feeding is of no value in maintaining deer populations during the winter stress period and may be detrimental to both deer and their habitat. Winter feeding concentrates animals, but provides only a portion of their nutritional requirements. The result is increased browsing on preferred native food plants causing a reduction in these food sources and an increased feeding on less nutritious foods. Continued feeding often results in the deterioration of deer range.
Winter deer losses are sometimes increased through feeding by concentrating the animals in a smaller portion of their range than normal. Thus, competition for available food becomes more intense. Fawns may be rebuffed by the strong, more dominant adult animals, and be unable to obtain enough food for maintenance. If food is distributed, it must be spread out over large areas, to allow all of the deer in the herd to feed.
Deer are only able to digest food through a mutually beneficial relationship with the microorganisms in the rumen-reticulem compartment of the stomach. Rapid changes in diet can produce digestive disruptions resulting in death, because the microorganisms are not able to adapt to a sudden change in diet. It is important not to introduce a new food in large quantities to deer. Readily fermentable foods, consumed in large quantity, without adequate microbial adaptation, may result in rumenitis. Emergency feeding often begins too late and fails to prevent deer mortality. The condition of the deer going into the winter is the major factor in determining its ability to survive the winter.
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=feeding+d eer+in+the+winter
Anyone want to find any info to the contrary. I'm gonna check for positive info on winter deer feeding. Maybe someone wants to lend a hand?
The Division of Fish and Wildlife strongly encourages New Jerseyans to avoid feeding wildlife during the winter period and throughout the year. Under most conditions winter feeding is of no value in maintaining deer populations during the winter stress period and may be detrimental to both deer and their habitat. Winter feeding concentrates animals, but provides only a portion of their nutritional requirements. The result is increased browsing on preferred native food plants causing a reduction in these food sources and an increased feeding on less nutritious foods. Continued feeding often results in the deterioration of deer range.
Winter deer losses are sometimes increased through feeding by concentrating the animals in a smaller portion of their range than normal. Thus, competition for available food becomes more intense. Fawns may be rebuffed by the strong, more dominant adult animals, and be unable to obtain enough food for maintenance. If food is distributed, it must be spread out over large areas, to allow all of the deer in the herd to feed.
Deer are only able to digest food through a mutually beneficial relationship with the microorganisms in the rumen-reticulem compartment of the stomach. Rapid changes in diet can produce digestive disruptions resulting in death, because the microorganisms are not able to adapt to a sudden change in diet. It is important not to introduce a new food in large quantities to deer. Readily fermentable foods, consumed in large quantity, without adequate microbial adaptation, may result in rumenitis. Emergency feeding often begins too late and fails to prevent deer mortality. The condition of the deer going into the winter is the major factor in determining its ability to survive the winter.
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=feeding+d eer+in+the+winter
Anyone want to find any info to the contrary. I'm gonna check for positive info on winter deer feeding. Maybe someone wants to lend a hand?
12-10-2006, 10:10 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW PA USA
Posts: 7,220
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
As I understand it, feeding corn in winter can be detrimental only if too much is introduced where corn is not in their diet now. I did a resaerch paper on this back in college few (30 or so) years ago and it's only dangerous when deer are fed large quantities of corn when they are starving or close to it and it hasn't been part of their diet up to that point. It's more likely to be of no benefit than a danger and it's only when a large quantityis dumped in say a large tract of hardwoodsduring a bad winter with no agriculture in the area and when the deer are already stressed is it dangerous.
12-10-2006, 10:20 AM
#15
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 63
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
I agree with North Texan. Anything starving can shock thier system by overeating. Anything not in thier natural diet can cause problems, just like it does for us. Most of the time emergency food for deer is hay put out that contains forages from thier area. But to put the blame on corn alone is a little off base. Anything in moderation is ok.
12-10-2006, 11:17 AM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 4,264
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
ORIGINAL: TRYKONOISSEUR
Can you elaborate or is that all you got. If you notice it is a question.
When I saw the title, I fogged up my glasses laughing!!!!
(They're anti-glare glasses, for computer only.)
(They're anti-glare glasses, for computer only.)
Can you elaborate or is that all you got. If you notice it is a question.
12-10-2006, 04:33 PM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Posts: 1,796
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
Deer are only able to digest food through a mutually beneficial relationship with the microorganisms in the rumen-reticulem compartment of the stomach. Rapid changes in diet can produce digestive disruptions resulting in death, because the microorganisms are not able to adapt to a sudden change in diet.
12-10-2006, 06:15 PM
#19
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: illinois buck land
Posts: 202
RE: Corn in winter can kill whitetails?
DEER EAT TO LIVE NOT LIVE TO EAT. CORN IS A STABLE FOOD SOURCE IN IL. AND CANNOT BE "BAD" IL. HAS ONE OF' IF NOT THE BIGGEST DEER HERDAS OF 2004 IN N.A. AND THE LIVE OFF OF CORN ALONG WITH SOY BEAN AND NUTS BUT CORN IS THE MAIN DIET WHEN AVAIL.
