12-13-2007, 09:10 PM
LITTLE ROCK - Phones at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regional offices around the state are ringing right on schedule - just as biologists predicted they would several months ago. Landowners and wildlife enthusiasts, particularly those from northern Arkansas, are asking why deer and wild turkeys are beginning to spend the entire day in pastures, open fields and food plots.
The short answer is that the meager acorn crop in parts of the state is about gone and many species of wildlife are leaving forested areas as they look for alternate foods. Acorns from the white oak group are very scarce in the north half of Arkansas because of the extremely cold weather that occurred the first week in April this spring. Some red oak acorns, which take two years to develop, are present but not abundant in most areas.
Wildlife lovers need not panic, but they need to be aware of the situation and how to help wildlife though this bottleneck. Will animals starve? Probably not, unless some catastrophic weather event such as a prolonged ice storm occurs. Even under these conditions, severe wildlife losses seldom occur.
"Deer love acorns, but they are primarily browsers. They'll do just fine browsing woody and herbaceous vegetation or grazing domestic grasses for food," AGFC Deer Program Coordinator Cory Gray says. "We have some areas, such as along the Mississippi River where oaks are rare, and deer do just fine on other foods."
Mike Widner, AGFC turkey program coordinator, says that wild turkeys are also quite adaptable, and it's almost unheard of for them to starve in this part of the country. "In the absence of acorns, they'll feed on soft mast, clovers and grasses, grass seeds, insects, leftover grain from cattle feeding and whatever else they can find. Most of those foods tend to be found in open areas," Widner explained.
One of the downsides to a poor acorn crop is that most wildlife are in poorer physical and reproductive condition at the end of the winter - deer, turkey, quail, squirrels, deer mice, you name it.
Randall Bullington, AGFC regional wildlife supervisor in western Arkansas points out that food plots in heavily forested areas such as White Rock Wildlife Management Area are particularly valuable in times of acorn scarcity. "Clovers and grass mixes planted in food plots on WMAs throughout the state will receive heavy use this winter," according to Bullington. "Our private lands biologists have also worked with landowners to promote grain and clover mix food plots and other habitat work on private lands for times like these," he said.
Concerned landowners and sportsmen will undoubtedly attempt to assist wildlife through the winter by providing supplemental food. Biologists prefer food plots and other habitat work over supplemental feeding, but done correctly, this could benefit wildlife in a time of food scarcity.
Wildlife enforcement officers and biologists have at least two special concerns with the potential increase in supplemental feeding, however. The first is location. "Supplemental feeding needs to be done at a site where poachers don't have easy access to wildlife," according to Col. Chris Carpenter, chief of enforcement. "The purpose of feeding is to provide food for hungry wildlife, not bait deer or turkeys in for poachers."
Feeding should not be done near remote rural roads, but in places where landowners can keep a close watch on herds or flocks. Landowners should know their local Wildlife Officer and keep his phone number handy in case they have problems.
The second major concern is aflatoxins. Most supplemental feeding involves corn, which could contain aflatoxins, a poison produced by fungal growth. Birds, including wild turkeys and quail, are particularly sensitive to aflatoxins. High concentrations can kill birds outright, and lower concentrations can cause liver damage and reduce overall health of the birds.
Widner has some recommendations on feeding corn. "I advise landowners and sportsmen to purchase corn at the local coop rather than the corner market. Buy corn that is sold as domestic livestock feed, as this grain has been tested for aflatoxins. Corn sold and labeled as "deer corn" may be corn that has failed this test and may, in fact, be poisonous to wildlife." Widner explained.
Further advice includes keeping supplemental feed dry at feeder sites and putting out only enough for a few days at a time to reduce the possibility of aflatoxins developing in wet, molding grain. You may also want to consider alternate foods, such as alfalfa pellets, if deer are the primary animals coming to feed sites.
Times may be tough for wildlife, but deer, turkeys and other species are remarkably resilient creatures.
The short answer is that the meager acorn crop in parts of the state is about gone and many species of wildlife are leaving forested areas as they look for alternate foods. Acorns from the white oak group are very scarce in the north half of Arkansas because of the extremely cold weather that occurred the first week in April this spring. Some red oak acorns, which take two years to develop, are present but not abundant in most areas.
Wildlife lovers need not panic, but they need to be aware of the situation and how to help wildlife though this bottleneck. Will animals starve? Probably not, unless some catastrophic weather event such as a prolonged ice storm occurs. Even under these conditions, severe wildlife losses seldom occur.
"Deer love acorns, but they are primarily browsers. They'll do just fine browsing woody and herbaceous vegetation or grazing domestic grasses for food," AGFC Deer Program Coordinator Cory Gray says. "We have some areas, such as along the Mississippi River where oaks are rare, and deer do just fine on other foods."
Mike Widner, AGFC turkey program coordinator, says that wild turkeys are also quite adaptable, and it's almost unheard of for them to starve in this part of the country. "In the absence of acorns, they'll feed on soft mast, clovers and grasses, grass seeds, insects, leftover grain from cattle feeding and whatever else they can find. Most of those foods tend to be found in open areas," Widner explained.
One of the downsides to a poor acorn crop is that most wildlife are in poorer physical and reproductive condition at the end of the winter - deer, turkey, quail, squirrels, deer mice, you name it.
Randall Bullington, AGFC regional wildlife supervisor in western Arkansas points out that food plots in heavily forested areas such as White Rock Wildlife Management Area are particularly valuable in times of acorn scarcity. "Clovers and grass mixes planted in food plots on WMAs throughout the state will receive heavy use this winter," according to Bullington. "Our private lands biologists have also worked with landowners to promote grain and clover mix food plots and other habitat work on private lands for times like these," he said.
Concerned landowners and sportsmen will undoubtedly attempt to assist wildlife through the winter by providing supplemental food. Biologists prefer food plots and other habitat work over supplemental feeding, but done correctly, this could benefit wildlife in a time of food scarcity.
Wildlife enforcement officers and biologists have at least two special concerns with the potential increase in supplemental feeding, however. The first is location. "Supplemental feeding needs to be done at a site where poachers don't have easy access to wildlife," according to Col. Chris Carpenter, chief of enforcement. "The purpose of feeding is to provide food for hungry wildlife, not bait deer or turkeys in for poachers."
Feeding should not be done near remote rural roads, but in places where landowners can keep a close watch on herds or flocks. Landowners should know their local Wildlife Officer and keep his phone number handy in case they have problems.
The second major concern is aflatoxins. Most supplemental feeding involves corn, which could contain aflatoxins, a poison produced by fungal growth. Birds, including wild turkeys and quail, are particularly sensitive to aflatoxins. High concentrations can kill birds outright, and lower concentrations can cause liver damage and reduce overall health of the birds.
Widner has some recommendations on feeding corn. "I advise landowners and sportsmen to purchase corn at the local coop rather than the corner market. Buy corn that is sold as domestic livestock feed, as this grain has been tested for aflatoxins. Corn sold and labeled as "deer corn" may be corn that has failed this test and may, in fact, be poisonous to wildlife." Widner explained.
Further advice includes keeping supplemental feed dry at feeder sites and putting out only enough for a few days at a time to reduce the possibility of aflatoxins developing in wet, molding grain. You may also want to consider alternate foods, such as alfalfa pellets, if deer are the primary animals coming to feed sites.
Times may be tough for wildlife, but deer, turkeys and other species are remarkably resilient creatures.