During the bitter cold winter, many Chautauqua County folks start to feel sorry for the deer they see near their homes and farms. During many years of heavy snow cover, the deer are obviously starving. Kind hearted people would like to help these animals. But unless done correctly, winter feeding of deer can have great negative impact on them. You might think you're helping the creatures when you are actually killing them. The basic rule of wildlife is--if you love them, leave them alone. But if you insist on feeding deer, it can be done correctly. It takes considerable time, energy, and money. Buying a few bales of hay to spread in areas during the middle of winter for the deer to eat could be the nail in their coffins. Killing them with kindness isn't what you want. A basic understanding of deer biology is needed.

Whitetail deer are ruminants that have four-chambered stomachs like cows. They don't have strong digestive juices like humans, but rely instead on bacteria and one celled microorganisms to break down the food matter they eat so it can be absorbed into the body. In the winter the main organisms in their stomachs are tuned to digest the whitetail's natural food of the season--primarily buds, twig tips and other woody browse. Digesting hay, corn or forage pellets requires different concentrations of stomach organisms so that complete digestion can occur. It takes about three weeks for a deer's stomach culture to change over to a new type of food. During the transition the deer will eat the food but gain very little nutrition from it.

If you are going to feed the deer hay, corn or any food which is not part of their natural winter diet, there are a few important rules to follow. Begin any winter feeding program before deer become stressed by extreme winter weather. This feeding program must continue until spring when natural food is once again available. Several feeding sites must be set up and replenished daily. A single site will only benefit the dominant, larger deer. Whitetails don't share their feed. The smaller, less dominant ones usually have less fat reserves and need the feed more than the large deer. At a single feeding site they are the last to eat, if there is any left.

It is much better to provide natural food in the form of browse. Take out the chainsaw and knock down some red maple, striped maple, dogwood, apple, or witch hazel to provide food that can be digested immediately. In winter, starving deer are sometimes drawn by the sound of a chainsaw, and will feed on downed tree tops as soon as they are cut. Also, the sprouting stumps will provide food for years to come. Timber stand improvement and other logging activities during winter months actually help deer more than other feeding efforts.

Before starting an artificial winter whitetail feeding effort, much consideration and a a strong commitment of time and money must be made. It is best to enjoy nature as is or help it out with constructive activities which increase the natural browse available. Enjoy the deer this winter!