Spring and Summer Foods of Deer in the Missouri Ozarks

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Abstract
A 3 yr investigation was conducted to ascertain the principal spring and summer foods of white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) in the forested Ozark Region of southern Missouri. Rumen samples from April-Sept. 1973-1975 were obtained from highway, illegal and accidentally killed animals. In 304 samples, 458 plant foods were identified, 26 of which exceeded 1.0% by volume; these together comprised nearly 60% of all food. Another 26 items amounted to 0.5-0.9% each and comprised an additional 17.0%. Season-long, the 6 principal genera were Vitis, Trifolium, Lespedeza, Ulmus, Rhus and Lactuca. Woody plants contributed 47.6% of all foods, broad-leaved herbaceous plants 44.3% and grass and grasslike species 2.4% of April-Sept. diets. Great variation in primary foods was shown by month and season. Results will serve as a guideline for future deer habitat improvement in Ozark forests.
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