How To Determine if Your Deer Need Supplemental Feeding with Chuck Sykes

Huntin' Land Podcast

This episode we interview Chuck Sykes, the director of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, about deer supplemental feeding. Sykes shares his background and how he became the director, despite initial reluctance to take the state job. He emphasizes the importance of habitat management over supplemental feeding for deer. Sykes defines supplemental feeding as providing additional nutrition beyond what deer need to survive, typically during lean periods like late winter and late summer. He recommends using high-protein feeds like soybeans to fill nutritional gaps. Sykes stresses the need for baseline data on deer herd health and age structure to guide management decisions. He encourages landowners to participate in the state's Deer Management Assistance Program to collect this data. The discussion covers strategies for managing deer populations, including habitat manipulation, supplemental feeding, and controlling hog numbers. Sykes emphasizes the importance of working with neighboring landowners and having realistic expectations for deer management.