A list of common natural foods eaten by southern white-tailed deer in Autumn

By Matt Ross, Whitetail Stewards, Inc.

• Panicum grasses (Panicum spp.)
• Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)
• Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria)
• Hackberry (Celtis spp.)
• Yamroot (Dioscorea glauca)
• Little mallow (Malva parviflora)
• Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeganifolium )
• Sweet gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella)
• Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
• Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
• American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
• Spanish oak (Quercus texana)
• Scrub oak (Q. ilicifolia)
• White oak (Q. alba)
• Blackjack oak (Q. marilandica)
• Post oak (Q. stellata)
• Live oak (Q. virginiana)
• Shin oak (Q. havardii)
• Bitter pecan (Carya lecontei)
• Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
• Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)
• Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

It's important to note that scientific evidence has recorded the consumption of well over 700 species of plants nationwide by white-tailed deer, and the above regional lists only represent some of the preferred species; consumption of each item varies with soil type, timber stand condition, and land use, and may only comprise a small portion of any individual deer's diet. The amount of plant utilization depends on its regional availability, the preference of the deer in that particular area, and the types and availability of other foods.

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