Deer browsing on cedar?

[woodchuckc]

I had just recharged one of my salt licks with some loose salt and a new block a few days before these pictures. The deer seem to appreciate it:

I noticed in a couple of pictures here that a deer seems to be eating some of the cedar greens in the tree in the center back of the pictures:

I have heard that deer will eat cedar when there is nothing else available for them to eat, but I don't think other food sources are that badly depleted right now. They don't look emaciated or in any worse shape than usual this time of year to me. Anybody else been seeing deer browsing on cedars?

I have to throw in a gratuitous coyote picture too!

 

[cecil30-30]

They could just be marking thier scent,or a licking branch??

 

[woodchuckc]

I wondered about that too. I have had a camera over this salt lick continuously for the last 3-4 years and had never gotten a picture of deer interacting with (browsing or marking) that tree before.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

nice pixs

 

[mathews338]

don't know about deer but goats will eat the bark of cedars sometimes. if a goat will i would think a deer might!

 

[SpursNFeathers]

Sure, deer will browse on cedar. I've seen cedars in stomach contents (don't ask about shot placement :/)

 

[Football Hunter]

They must be hungry to be eating cedar

 

[Boone 58]

x-3....usually a sign of rough times by all accounts from northern hunters as i have read over the years.

 

[BSK]

You cannot look at a deer and tell if they are healthy or not. They will not look "emaciated" until near death.

Deer will browse on many things, including cedar. Some browsing on cedar is OK, but when cedar begins to show a browse-line like that cedar in the background, I would be concerned.

 

[Trevor2]

don't know about deer but goats will eat the bark of cedars sometimes. if a goat will i would think a deer might!

Goats will any anything though lmao

 

[stryker]

I agree, I think deer will browse on cedar/bark but I think it is probably a last resort or close to it on something to eat to help get through the winter.I think they would eat cedar even more when there's snow on the ground. IMO

 

[Beekeeper]

You cannot look at a deer and tell if they are healthy or not. They will not look "emaciated" until near death.

Deer will browse on many things, including cedar. Some browsing on cedar is OK, but when cedar begins to show a browse-line like that cedar in the background, I would be concerned.

X2.

 

[Huntingwithoutdad]