Deer Debugging

[dogghr]

This isn't on my farm. I was actually taking pic to show overbrowse and browse line in an overpopulated deer area. But as I watched this deer I kept seeing a bird dive onto the deer and swoop away. At first I thot maybe deer was near its nest but as I watched realized the bird was plucking insects off the deer. I've never seen this. Deer paid no attention to the bird and it went on for half an hour till I left.
Anyone else seen this? I wasn't really surprised but odd I'd never seen it happen. Pretty cool to watch. Like watching African plains animals.

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[THE LLC]

Boy they are wearing that habitat out.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Ferns... Two things deer hardly ever eat, grass and ferns. No wonder that deer is trying to climb the tree for more food.

 

[Chainsaw]

This isn't on my farm. I was actually taking pic to show overbrowse and browse line in an overpopulated deer area. But as I watched this deer I kept seeing a bird dive onto the deer and swoop away. At first I thot maybe deer was near its nest but as I watched realized the bird was plucking insects off the deer. I've never seen this. Deer paid no attention to the bird and it went on for half an hour till I left.
Anyone else seen this? I wasn't really surprised but odd I'd never seen it happen. Pretty cool to watch. Like watching African plains animals.

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I have not seen the bird/deer relationship like that. That picture sure does show a habitat managers nightmare though.

 

[dogghr]

Ferns... Two things deer hardly ever eat, grass and ferns. No wonder that deer is trying to climb the tree for more food.

I hadn't, but Buckhunter has said he sees browse of them in OH. I did watch for the first time this year in another place, deer browsing some kind of new growth at the base of the ferns. Seemed to really be loving it despited good browse within sight.

I have not seen the bird/deer relationship like that. That picture sure does show a habitat managers nightmare though.

Yea that's why I was taking the pic. Good comparison for some other discussions of such as this is a section of heavy population in a state park where very little hunting is allowed. It sits in the middle of a county that probably has one of the lowest deer populations in the state and browse is too thick to walk thru. Point? Overpopulation can be localized and handled accordingly. Too many is too many.

 

[Baker]

I listened to a Ms. State Deer university podcast last night....they are excellent by the way for anyone interested. Cutting edge stuff......They had a discussion about tics and how birds play a role in grooming deer.

 

[aecrowell]

I have watched birds ride the back of a whitetail and pluck insects. Saw one that had a bird sit on it's head and groom it's ears.

 

[dogghr]

I have watched birds ride the back of a whitetail and pluck insects. Saw one that had a bird sit on it's head and groom it's ears.

That's too cool. I've spent a lot of time with the WT and I honestly had never seen it before. Pretty neat and increasing habitat for certain birds may help reduce tick and fly numbers on deer.

 

[DocHolladay]

Grant Woods newest video has a bird eating a bug off a deers back.