Winter : A Time of Testing Deer Management

1
Winter A Time of TestingDeer Management

• Original Power Point Created by
• Andy Harrison

Modified by the GA Agriculture Education
Curriculum Office July 2002
2
Adaptations

• Heavy coat of hair
• In northern regions the hair coat is longer
• When the weather gets cold, the hair elevates to
  trap air
• Fat is distributed within the body cavity and
  along the back
• Also have fat within the long bones
• Marrow fat

3
Adaptations

• Energy reserves
• Form of animal starch
• Glycogen in the liver
• Kidney Fat Index (KFI) is an indicator of herd
  health
• Ratio of kidney weight to fat surrounding kidney
• Expressed as a percentage ()

4
KFI

• Should be looked at in the summer to better
  indicate overall condition
• Should also be looked at in the winter to
  determine effects of winter conditions

5
Other Adaptations

• Modifications to metabolic systems allow for
  reduced feed intake
• Up to 40
• Yarding mostly a northern occurrence
• Bucks migrate to area of insulating cover, such
  as evergreens
• Eat everything in reach, including limbs and
  twigs and other low quality feeds
• Some die off due to disease and parasites

6
Adaptations

• Snow
• Deer hooves are not adapted for travel in snow
  and ice
• Snow covers the foods needed for energy
• Cold adds to demand for food and energy
• Rumen fermentation requires heat
• Even eating low quality forage aids in keeping
  rumen activity going

7
Adaptation

• Deep snow gives advantage to predators
• Such as wolves and coyotes
• Southern deer increase activity
• Keep warm in order to maintain body temperature
• Search for high quality foods

8
Winter The Killer of Deer

• Northern winters harder on deer
• More buck and fawn mortality in the north
• Fawns have smaller body size and lose more heat
  than adults
• Fawns cannot reach feeds in deer yards
• Fawns deplete fat reserves quicker
• Mortality higher in large bucks that rutted
  heavily

9
Winter - Friend of Deer

• Winter kill keeps the population at an acceptable
  level especially in north
• Not the case in south
• South has a bigger over-population problem