Seasonal Food Habits of White-Tailed Deer in the South Texas Plains

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Abstract
From Oct. 1972-Sept. 1974, rumen analyses were used to determine food habits of white-tailed deer [an economically important animal] on the H.B. Zachry Randado Ranch in south Texas [USA]. Plant taxa [69] were identified in the diet. Year-round preferences for various forage classes were 21.1% cactus, 32.7% browse, 26.6% forbs, 8.3% grasses and 11.3% unknown. Cactus was heavily selected from June through Sept., and was consumed less but still heavily during Oct.-Jan. Highest forb consumption occurred during March, April and May. Browse usually was an important part of the diet, and grass consumption on untreated range was constantly low. A direct relationship was found between frequency with which a plant species was eaten and variability in the amount of that species consumed. Perennial plant species were more important as forage than annual species. Application of 2, 4-D herbicide caused grass consumption to increase 30 times over nonsprayed areas.

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