Seasonal Feeding Habits Of White-Tailed Deer In Southern Maryland
Food habits of white·tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were studied on a 526·ha mixed forest-grassland site at Blossom Point, on the coastal plain of Maryland. The rumen contents of 2 deer shot per month for a year and a winter browse survey were used to define seasonal variations in plant species utilization. Mushrooms and the fruits of dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina) and oaks (Quercus spp.) were utilized in the fall. In winter, a large portion of the diet was Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and rushes. In the spring, a shift to herbaceous material...
