Do velvet bucks have different feeding habits than rutting bucks?

Feeding Habits of Velvet Bucks

In the South Carolina lowcountry, velvet bucks tend to forage for food more consistently throughout the year. Research suggests that they spend around 30% of their daylight hours browsing for food, with a focus on shrubs, trees, and vines. They have a more varied diet, eating everything from live oak leaves to cattails.

Comparison to Rutting Bucks

Rutting bucks, on the other hand, tend to focus more on high-calorie foods in the fall, especially after the velvet shedding process. This energy-intensive period is crucial for antler growth and development. To store energy for antlers, rutting bucks often concentrate their feeding efforts on specific, high-calorie food sources, like mast crops and aquatic plants. In the South Carolina lowcountry, this often means focusing on areas with an abundance of acorns, beechnuts, and other mast production.

Observations in the Field

Field observations of velvet bucks in the South Carolina lowcountry have shown that they tend to browse more extensively, eating a wide variety of plants throughout the year. This includes leaves, twigs, and fruits from a variety of trees and shrubs. In contrast, rutting bucks tend to be more selective, focusing on high-calorie foods that will help them grow stronger antlers. By understanding these differences in feeding habits, hunters can better predict where to find these deer and what to expect during different times of the year.