Effects of supplemental feeding on winter ranging of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), living north of their home ranges

Winter feeding of White-tailed Deer has become very common in northeastern North America Food addition at feeding sites can modify the usual activity pattern of deer. Using telemetry, we compared home-range size and movements of nine deer that used feeding areas with those of eight animals that did not have access to artificial food. Winter home range size did not differ significantly between deer attending feeding sites (42 ha) and those which depended only on natural food (39 ha). Deer frequenting feeding areas tended to stay closer to feeders during the first half of the winter than the second, but this behaviour did not affect their home range size. Artificial feeding of White-tailed Deer providing approximately one third of their food requirements did not change markedly their pattern of space use during a winter with average snowfall in a wintering area where competition for food was intense.