Whitetail deer are such an amazing species that you can hunt and study them for a lifetime and still get fooled. Luckily, several organizations, such as the Quality Deer Management Association, promote research so that “deer behavior” is based on science rather than opinion. Check your deer knowledge and see how much you really know, courtesy of Whitetail Journal.
According to the Quality Deer Management Association: 7.8 percent to 9.4 percent is the amount of increase in average crude protein levels in natural forage species from 2011, a drought year, to the following year when rainfall was normal. University of Georgia researcher Levi Horrell found, at one site, that protein in American beautyberry jumped from 9 to 14 percent corresponding to increased rainfall. This illustrates how drought can reduce carrying capacity and deer health factors, like fawn recruitment and antler growth.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
