Winter can be a brutal season for white-tailed deer. With the rut behind them, fat reserves depleted, and natural food sources dwindling, survival becomes a daily struggle. For gamekeepers, this is the time of year when habitat quality makes the difference between deer that merely survive and those that thrive—especially in northerns climes.
Back in the 90s, I was privileged to work with Dr. Grant Woods. I followed him around like a little puppy dog whenever I could, trying to absorb whatever I could learn about whitetail management. One lesson that I remember is that even though antlers aren’t physically growing during the winter, a deer’s nutritional intake can have a major indirect effect on antler size the following year — often a difference of 10 to 30% or more in total antler growth potential. How much depends on how severe the winter and how poor the alternative food options are. So let’s use the median of 20% — that means your 120” buck would instead make Pope & Young at 144”, and your 140” buck would then make Boone & Crocket at 168”.
I think the hunting industry often puts too much emphasis on antler size, but it does give us a means by which to measure success. However, antler growth is just one perk of good wintertime nutrition. By focusing on winter habitat and food management, you can greatly influence the health of your herd and set the stage for strong antler growth, fawn recruitment, and overall resilience in the coming year.
Linda Arndt
Understanding Winter Needs
I believe a whitetail’s world revolves around two critical needs during winter—thermal cover and food within close proximity. When snow is deep and temperatures drop, deer instinctively reduce movement to conserve energy. If food sources are far from protective cover, energy demands rise, leading to increased stress and body weight loss. This is why the best-managed winter habitats feature a blend of both components within easy reach.
Thermal cover refers to areas that shield deer from wind, cold, and snow. Conifer stands such as white pine, cedar, spruce, and hemlock are classic examples, but in many areas, native shrubs, tall switchgrass and native warm season grass stands, or young regenerating forests can serve the same purpose.
Dark conifer trees, such as spruce, pine, and cedar are some of my favorites. They absorb more of the sun’s energy because their needles and bark have low reflectivity—they take in sunlight rather than bouncing it away. This absorbed solar radiation warms the trees and the surrounding air, creating a more stable microclimate beneath the canopy. In winter, that effect, combined with reduced wind and snow accumulation helps hold warmer air near the ground, providing deer and other wildlife with valuable thermal cover.
Mixed conifer-hardwood patches provide the best of both worlds: overhead protection from snow accumulation, woody browse, and lateral cover that holds body heat. Managers can encourage this type of cover by planting evergreens, conducting small clearcuts to regenerate dense sapling growth, or hinge-cutting select deciduous trees to create low-lying structure.
When planning habitat improvements, remember: the goal is not solid forest, but a mosaic—a pattern of thick cover adjacent to more open feeding areas. This diversity supports deer through all seasons but becomes especially critical in the winter months.
Dave Medvecky
Creating and Managing Winter Food Sources
Once cover is established, the next priority is food. By late fall, most agricultural crops and soft mast sources are gone. What remains are woody browse, brassica plots that haven’t been eaten, and any standing grain left.
Corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum are ideal for holding deer through the winter. Standing corn provides both high-energy food and vertical structure that reduces snow depth underneath the stalks. Grain sorghum stands up well to snow and continues to offer seed heads well into late winter. Dried soybeans, while they don’t have the quick heat and energy that corn offers, if the snow hasn’t covered them these can also be a great food source.
Most who read our publication know how I feel about brassicas—they are maybe the best deer-food God has provided us. Species such as radishes, turnips and rape become most palatable to deer from early fall until they’re gone. However, there is a typical order in which they’ll be eaten. I usually use radishes and turnips in products like Deer Radish and Winter Bulbs for hunting time attraction, and rape in products like Maximum for wintertime nutrition—the rape also grows a bit taller than radishes and turnips which is a bonus when snows begin to cover other things. For an easy fix you can use a product like Final Forage that is a unique mix of radish, rape, and turnip varieties. Deer will dig for the tubers and bulbs long after the tops are gone. Brassica plots are reliable where snow cover is moderate, and even in deeper snows they will often dig through the snow for the leaves which will often stay green into February or even March.
Cereal grains are another great whitetail food, and like brassicas, also great soil amendments. Winter wheat, oats, triticale, and cereal rye provide green forage through late fall and early winter and often later in the south. Though their value declines once snow persists, they still serve as an important transition food between fall and the heart of winter.
The last one our list is actually not very nutritious for the most part, but deer MUST HAVE woody browse. Its nutritional content varies by species, plant part (buds, twigs, bark, leaves), and season, but in general, woody browse is lower in calories than grains or forbs but can be high in fiber and moderate in protein. Deer (and other ruminants) need to adjust their gut microbial populations when a new food source is introduced, especially if it’s very different from their normal diet. Deer eat browse ALL THE TIME so there is no need for them to take days to possibly weeks for microbial populations to shift. As snow deepens, deer rely heavily on woody browse. Managing for species like red osier dogwood, willow, blackberry, and sumac ensures a renewable winter food source that doesn’t depend on planting. Dormant-season hinge cutting or felling trees so deer can reach the tops can also increase accessible browse while simultaneously thickening cover.
Habitat Layout Means Survival
The best winter deer habitat is compact and efficient. Food, cover, and water (if not frozen) should be arranged so deer expend minimal energy moving between them. A poorly designed property—where deer must travel hundreds of yards through open fields—can lead to higher winter mortality.
If possible, position food plots adjacent to or within cover, not across wide-open terrain or long distances from bedding areas. Utilize terrain and natural windbreaks to your advantage. South-facing slopes provide warmth and reduced snow depth, making them ideal spots for both food plots and bedding areas.
Reducing pressure on whitetails during the winter is crucial because of all the stress they already have. Cold temperatures, limited food, and depleted fat reserves already push deer to their physiological limits. Added human disturbance forces deer to expend valuable energy fleeing or relocating, which can lead to increased mortality and reduced body condition entering spring. Minimizing pressure allows deer to conserve energy, access quality winter cover and food sources, and recover more effectively for the next growing and breeding seasons. Disturbance forces deer to abandon critical energy-conserving areas. Many gamekeepers establish “winter sanctuaries” where no human intrusion occurs until spring green-up.
Supplemental Feeding
Supplemental feeding often becomes a topic of discussion during harsh winters, but it comes with caveats. Sudden diet changes disrupt rumen function. Unless you are running a year-round feeding program (where legal), the better approach is to enhance natural winter habitat rather than rely on artificial feed. If feeding is allowed and deemed necessary, introduce feed gradually and feed in multiple locations to reduce crowding. Always check local regulations before beginning any supplemental feeding program.
The Payoff
Winter’s dormancy provides a window for habitat work that may be impractical during the growing season. Things like chainsaw habitat improvements, hinge cutting, and edge feathering can be done safely and efficiently while vegetation is bare.
Winter management may not be as glamorous as spring and summer planting or fall hunting, but it’s arguably just as important. Deer that emerge from winter in good condition rebound quickly with early green-up, bucks are able to devote more energy to antler growth, and does enter fawning season stronger and healthier. If you keep records, you should see fawn recruitment improve as well.
The properties that consistently produce big, healthy deer have one thing in common—they support the herd YEAR-ROUND. By taking time to plan and manage your winter habitat and food sources, you’re investing in the long-term sustainability of your deer herd and the land they depend on.
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