Below is a list I made of the foods I found that they eat.
Deer eat a wide variety of plants, but their main food item is "browse"—the growing tips of trees & shrubs.
In late winter and early spring, deer eat grass, clover, and other herbaceous plants.
Deer eat rapidly &, being ruminants, initially chew their food only enough to swallow it.
This food is stored in a stomach called the “rumen.”
From there it is regurgitated, then re-chewed before being swallowed again, entering a 2nd stomach where digestion begins.
From there it is passed into a 3rd & then a fourth stomach, finally entering the intestine.
I will update this list as time allows.
Foods
Mule Deer Eat
Some 788 species
of plants are eaten by mule deer.
Mule deer diets vary greatly, depending on season,
geographic region, year, &
elevation.
TREES & SHRUBS:
- Artemisia tridentata (Big Sagebrush)
- Cercocarpus ledifolius (Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany)
- Cercocarpus montanus (True Mountain Mahogany)
- Cowania mexicana (Mexican Cliffrose)
- Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen)
- Purshia tridentata (Antelope Bitterbrush)
- Quercus gambelii (Gambel Oak)
- Rhus trilobata (Skunkbush Sumac)
FORBS:
- Achillea millefolium (Western Yarrow)
- Antennaria sp. (Pussytoes)
- Artemisia frigida (Fringed Sagebrush)
- Artemisia ludoviciana (Louisiana Sagewort)
- Aster spp.
- Astragalus sp. (Milkvetch)
- Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot)
- Cirsium sp. (Thistle)
- Erigeron spp. (Fleabane)
- Geranium sp.
- Lactuca serriola (Prickly Lettuce)
- Lupinus spp. (Lupine)
- Medicago sativa (alfalfa)
- Penstemon spp.
- Phlox spp.
- Polygonum sp. (Knotweed/Smartweed)
- Potentilla spp. (Cinquefoil)
- Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
- Tragopogon dubius (Western Salsify)
- Trifolium sp. (Clover)
- Vicia americana (American Vetch)
- GRASSES & GRASSLIKE SPECIES:
- Agropyron, Elymus (Wheatgrasses)
- Elytrigia, Pascopyrum sp. (wheatgrasses)
- Pseudoroegneria spicatum (Bluebunch Wheatgrass)
- Bromus tectorum (Cheatgrass)
- Carex spp. (Sedge)
- Festuca idahoensis (Idaho Fescue)
- Poa fendleriana (muttongrass)
- Poa pratensis (Kentucky Bluegrass)
- Other Poa spp. (Bluegrass)
Horsetails (Equisetum spp.)
Quillworts (Isoetes spp.)
Maple
(Acer spp.)
Alder
(Alnus spp.)
Wintergreen
(Gaultheria spp.)
Currant
(Ribes spp.)
Blackberry
(Rubus spp.)
Willow
(Salix spp.)
Elderberry
(Sambucus spp.)
Huckleberry
(Vaccinium spp.)
Wedgeleaf
Ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus)
Serviceberry
(Amelanchier spp.)
Desert
Peach (Prunus andersonii)
Mountain-Mahogany
(Cercocarpus spp.)
Wright Silktassel (Garrya
wrightii)
Wright's Buckwheat (E. Wrightii Torr.)
Shrub Live Oak (Quercus turbine & Greene)
Tree & Shrub Fruits
Buds
Seeds
(particularly Acorns)
Farm & Garden Crops
Stems
Leaves
Bark
of Trees & Shrubs
Fungi
Algae
Mosses
Cacti
Other
Succulents
Aquatic
Vegetation
Ferns
Oak
Foliage
Chamise
Interior
Live Oak
Acorns
(Oak Nuts)
Other Nuts
Antelope
Bitterbrush
Sagebrush
Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
Ceanothus
Manzanita
Rose
Fruits
Flowers
Wild Mushrooms
New Green herbage (mainly Forbs & New Leaves of Deciduous Shrubs)
New Twigs
Mature Green Herbaceous Material
New Leaves & Twigs of Evergreens
Mature Leaves & Twigs of Evergreens
True Mountain-Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus Raf.)
Squaw Bush (Rhus trilobata Nutt.)
Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.)
Forbs
Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus
Arabis spp.
Astragalus spp.
Baileya multiradiata
Boraginaceae spp.
Descurainia pinnata
Erodium spp.
Lupinus spp.
Menodora spp.
Plantago insularis
Plantago purshii
Psilotrophe spp.
Salazaria mexicana
Tidestromia lanuginosa
Vicia spp.
Grass
Bouteloua spp.
Bromus rubens
Schismus barbatus
Browse
Abutilon spp.
Ambrosia dumosa
Argythamnia spp.
Artemisia spp.
Atriplex spp.
Calliandra eriophylla
Ceanothus spp.
Cercidium floridurn
Encelia farinosa
Encelia frutescens
Ephedra spp.
Eriogonum spp.
Eriogonum injlatum
Eriogonum wrightii
Erigeron spp.
Hyptis emoryi
Janusia gracilis
Juniperus monosperma
Krameria spp.
Krameria grayi
Larrea tridentata
Lycium spp.
(desertthorn)
Lycium spp. (wolfberry)
Olneya tesota
Pellaea spp.
Prosopis glandulosa
Quercus spp.
Rhus trilobata
Sindsia chinensis
Sphaeralcea spp.
Succulents
Cereus giganteus
Mammillaria spp.
Opuntia spp.
Yucca spp.
Forbs
Astragalus spp.
Boraginaceae spp.
Chorizanthe rigida
Eriastrum spp.
Eriodum spp.
Eriogonum deJle.x
Lesquerella gordoni
Lotus spp.
Lupinus spp.
Menodora spp.
Perityle emory
Plantago insular
Plantago purs
Satazaria mexica
Tiakstromia languginosa
Trixis califomica
Vicia spp.
Grass
Bouteloua spp.
Bromus spp.
Bromus rubens
Festuca octoflora
Poa bigelovii
Schismus barbatus
Browse
Abutilon spp.
Acacia constricta
Acacia gregii
Ambrosia spp.
Ambrosia dumosa
Argythamnia spp.
Atriplex spp.
Cercidium floridurn
Cercidium microphyllum
Cowania mexicana
Encelia farbwsa
Ephedra spp.
Eriogonam spp.
Eriogonum trichopes
Eriogonum wrightii
Eurotia hmata
Hibiscus denudatus
Hyptis emoryi
Janusia gracilis
Krameria spp.
Krameria grayi
Larrea tridentata
Lycium spp. (desertthom)
Lycium spp. (wolfbeny)
Olneya tesota
Prosopis glandulosa
Simmondsia chinesis
Sphaeralcea spp.
Viguiera parishii
Succulents
opuntia spp.
Blackberry
Huckleberry
Thimbleberry
Twigs
of Douglas Fir
Cedar
Yew
Aspen
Willow
Dogwood
Juniper
Sage
Strawberries
Raspberries
Weeds
Twigs
Lower
Branches of Trees
Grasses
Apples
Acorns
Herbs
Pinon Pine
Mesquite Leaves & Beans
Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla Benth.)
Janusia (Janusia gracilis Gray)
Wild Buckwheat (Erigonum spp.)
Smoketree (Dalea spinosa Gray)
Paperflower (Psilotrophe spp.)
Filaree (Erodium cicutarium [L.] L'Her.)
Pursh Plantain (Plantago purshii R. & S.)
Mediterranean Grass (Schismus barbatus [L.]
Bigelow's Bluegrass (Poa bigelovii Vasey & Scribn.)
Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.)
Jojoba
Buckbush
Cat Claw (Acacia greggii Gray)
Serviceberry (including Pacific Serviceberry)
FORBS:
Mountain Bluebell
Sawtooth Butterweed
Kochia
Tailcup
Lupine
Clover
Broadleaf Filaree
Globemallow
Woody Vines
Bitterbrush
Rabbitbrush
Scrub Oak
Best Habitat for Deer
Mule deer thrive in habitat that has all of following characteristics:
- Early stages of plant growth. Plants that are young & emerging are more nutritious than mature trees & shrubs.
- A mixture of plant communities. Many species provide better forage than any single species.
- Diverse and extensive shrub growth. More shrubs are generally preferable to fewer shrubs. This means that periodic, planned disturbance of plant communities is an important part of maintaining high-quality deer habitat.
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BROWSE PLANTS
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Antelope Bitterbrush
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Big Sagebrush
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Chokecherry
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Curlleaf Mountain-Mahogany (Cercocarpus
ledifolius)
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Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii)
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Hollyleaved Barberry (Mahonia
aquifolium)
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Ponderosa Pine
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Quaking Aspen
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Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus
spp.)
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Rocky Mountain Juniper
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Rose
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Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier
alnifolia)
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Snowberry
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Skunkbush (Rhus trilobata)
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Snowbrush Ceanothus (Ceanothus
velutinus)
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True Mountain-Mahogany
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Willow
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GRAMINOIDS
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Bluegrass (Poa spp.)
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Brome (Bromus spp.)
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Fescue (Festuca spp.)
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Sedge (Carex spp.)
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Wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.,
sensu lato)
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Wildrye (Elymus spp.)
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FORBS
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Alfalfa (Medicago spp.)
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Aster (Asteraceae)
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Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza
spp.)
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Beardtongue (Penstemon
spp.)
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Buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.)
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Cinquefoil (Potentilla
spp.)
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Clover (Trifolium spp.)
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Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.)
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Fleabane (Erigeron spp.)
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Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
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Phlox (Phlox spp.)
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Pussytoes (Antennaria spp.)
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Sagebrush Vetch (Vicia
spp.)
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Thistle (Cirsium spp.)
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Yarrow (Achillea spp.)
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