Whitetail Food: Why Summer Forbs Matter

Summer deer nutrition can shape what hunters and landowners see in the fall.

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things, John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D., and Mark Turner Ph.D. explain what white-tailed deer really eat and why forbs, fresh browse, sunlight, and prescribed fire matter for deer health. The crew talks through practical habitat management for Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains, including cedar control, canopy thinning, seasonal burning, food plots, and why feeding wildlife often falls short compared to growing better native forage.

Key takeaways:

• Forbs and fresh browse are some of the most important summer foods for white-tailed deer.
• Plants often called weeds, including ragweed, pokeweed, horseweed, tick clovers, blackberry, and greenbrier, can provide valuable deer nutrition.
• Cedar encroachment and dense tree cover may create cover but can severely limit high-quality forage.
• Prescribed fire, canopy opening, and stump sprouting can put fresh, nutritious growth within reach of deer.
• Food plots and feed can have a place, but they should not replace whole-property habitat management.

Timestamped rundown

00:00–02:15 — Show introduction and setup: the episode focuses on what deer really eat and why summer forage matters.
02:15–05:15 — Mark explains that summer is a critical nutritional period because bucks are growing antlers and does are producing milk for fawns.
05:15–08:40 — The crew defines forbs and explains why broadleaf “weeds” can be higher-quality deer food than many woody plants.
08:40–10:15 — Greenbrier gets discussed as a year-round food source, especially useful after fire creates fresh regrowth.
10:15–12:10 — Blackberry is highlighted for both fruit and young leaves, with discussion of deer as selective feeders.
12:10–15:05 — The group talks about poor-quality diets, including deer eating cedar when better food is unavailable.
15:05–18:31 — Regional differences come into focus: western Oklahoma may produce forbs after rain, while eastern Oklahoma often needs active management to open sunlight.
18:31–20:10 — Mark shares research showing that increasing high-quality food can improve doe body weight and mature buck antler size.
20:10–25:55 — The management discussion begins: reduce cedar, open canopies, use fire, and create fresh, reachable browse.
25:55–30:28 — Seasonal burning is discussed, including how summer and early fall burns can produce fresh regrowth when deer need it.
30:28–34:13 — The crew challenges the old “burn every three to five years” recommendation and discusses more frequent, patchy fire.
34:13–40:43 — Food plots are covered as a small piece of the puzzle, useful for hunting or viewing but not a replacement for whole-property habitat work.
40:43–41:35 — Fescue and non-native grasses come up, with Mark recommending grass removal where deer forage is the objective.
41:35–46:59 — Supplemental feeding is discussed, including disease concerns, predator subsidies, cost, labor, and limited return compared to habitat management.
46:59–47:44 — Closing remarks and listener call to subscribe and visit the podcast website.

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