Summer Forage Use by Tame Deer in Northern Michigan

Abstract

The aspen (Populus tremuloides and P. grandidentata) cover type is one of the most important types for producing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northern Lake States, and maintaining it is the emphasis of deer habitat management there. The summer food habits, forage preferences, and habitat use of tame deer in a mature aspen stand and an adjacent aspen clear-cut were studied. Aspen, beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta), strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), willow (Salix spp.), and choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) leaves, and aster (Aster spp.) leaves and flowers averaged 66% of the monthly forage consumption in the mature stand and 80% of that in the clear-cut. Aspen leaves alone averaged nearly a quarter of the intake on both areas. Preferred foods included red maple (Acer rubrum), aspen, beaked hazel, choke cherry leaves, the ripe fruit of brambles (Rubus spp.), and aster leaves and flowers. Although the deer spent equal time foraging in the mature stand and the clear-cut during June, they used the mature stand more during July and August. The quantity of food eaten per unit of time, however, was greater in the clear-cut during July and August. The results suggest that clear-cutting aspen in small blocks on a 40year rotation would provide for an interspersion of age classes that may best meet the overall life requirement of deer on summer range. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 44(1):98-106 There is a close association of whitetailed deer with the aspen cover type in the northern Lake States. In Michigan, aspen is the most important deer-producing forest cover type, and maintaining this type is the major emphasis of the state's deer habitat management program (Byelich et al. 1972:124). In north-central Minnesota, deer use the aspen type intensively in the summer (Kohn and Mooty 1971:478), and it is the preferred summer habitat of Wisconsin deer (Habeck and Curtis 1959:50, McCaffery and Creed 1969:23). However, widespread conversion of aspen to later successional types places severe limitations on this habitat (McCaffery and Creed 1969:6; Byelich et al. 1972:121, 122). Because deer use of the aspen type appears forage related (Rutske 1969:35, McCaffery et al. 1974:218), we studied the summer food habits, forage preferences, and habitat use of tame animals in a mature stand and an adjacent clear-cut to understand better the association of deer with stands of different ages in the aspen type. Financial support for this study was provided by the McIntire-Stennis Program. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provided 2 fawns and fencing materials. We acknowledge D. Wenzel and N. Karsten for their help in locating a study area. We thank also D. Schwandt for counsel in data analysis, D. Frederick for help in sampling design, and B. Dahl, F. Bryant, R. Dohrenwend, P. Herman, and N. Sloan for review of the manuscript.