Should man feed deer during a severe winter to help deer survive?
Since deer require microbes (bacteria and protozoans) in their rumen to digest food, time is required for the microbes to gradually adjust to new diets. Nutritionally stressed deer feeding on the roughage of woody stems may not survive when they quickly shift their diet to grain or hay. Deer could have full stomachs but not be able to digest and gain nutrients from the new food. Deer gradually shift their diet throughout the year. Deer adjust to the rigors of winter by naturally slowing their consumption of food and using stored fat for survival. Deer may lose up to 20 percent of their body weight during a severe winter. Some deer that have injuries or heavy parasite loads may not survive during the stressful winter months. The Wildlife Management Institute’s position on supplemental feeding can be summarized by the following quote from their publication Feeding Wildlife Just Say No: “supplemental feeding –however well intentioned either compromises the animal’s wildness or wellness,
