Key points for four-season grazing of deer and management techniques for each season

Spring grazing

Graze daily from 5-9 and 14-18.
In early spring, graze on sunny slopes; in late spring, graze on shady slopes. When grazing in early spring in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, try to graze on sunny mountain slopes with oak trees where snow and ice melt early and there are many yellow oak leaves, or in shrub areas with abundant hazel, and on small sunny slopes and barren hillside plots where cottongrass sprouts early. Around Qingming to "May Day," when the green grass has just emerged, the pasture looks emerald green from afar, but up close the deer cannot eat it well, and the deer begin "running after green" - the herd moves very fast. This is especially pronounced in female red deer herds, which can travel over ten li in the first hour. Therefore, the lead herder should control the lead deer, and the driving herders should cooperate with the lead herder and keep a close watch, keeping the herd relatively concentrated while letting the deer walk as little as possible and eat well. In mid-to-late May, graze in tall meadow ditches and along rivers and streams, forest edges, and places with dense willow thickets by small streams, as well as on wasteland and roadsides where various sedges, dandelions, and wild peppers grow in abundance.

Summer grazing

In summer, forage is lush, the weather is hot, and there are many thunderstorms. At noon there are many gadflies. Based on the climate characteristics of this season and the deer's habit of foraging at dawn and dusk, grazing should be done in the early morning and late afternoon, with the midday rest period extended. Daily grazing times are 4-9 and 15-19.
Graze in shrub thickets, on back slopes of hills, in open woodlands, on wasteland at forest edges, in valleys, and by reservoirs. Every day, turn out to graze on an empty stomach before dawn, first grazing on poorer pasture. After most deer have eaten their fill and lie down to rest and ruminate, pen the herd to rest for 30-40 minutes, then drive the herd to good pasture for another session. After they have eaten their fill, return to the shed at 9 o'clock. After returning to the shed, supplement only with concentrated feed. In the afternoon grazing session, one rest break is also needed. In hot summer weather, if there is a clean water source on the pasture, water them once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If they do not return to the shed at noon and graze all day, watering facilities need to be set up on the pasture. When the herd encounters sudden thunder, lightning, and storms while grazing, stampedes are likely to occur. Herders should, based on weather changes, tighten the herd in advance and keep it under control. In mid-to-late August, try to graze on pastures with abundant lespedeza, young oak forests, and leguminous forage so as to fatten them up as quickly as possible. In addition, during continuous rainy days, grazing should be stopped to prevent damage to the pasture.

Autumn grazing

Graze twice daily, from 7-11 and 13-17.
In autumn, the climate gradually becomes cooler, the temperature is suitable, and grass seeds gradually mature and have high nutritional value. This is a good season for female deer and growing deer to put on autumn fat. The grazing grounds in this season are grasslands, shrub forests, sunny slopes of barren hills, forest clearings, and harvested farmland. In early September, it is best to graze in places with many acorns and wild soybean seeds, and on green grass pastures. On mountain and hilly pastures, due to the influence of terrain, topography, and tall woody plants, around "National Day" there are still green pastures that have not been frosted, and green grazing can still be chosen so that the deer eat as much as possible. When grazing on such pastures, the surround-grazing method can be used to increase the deer's feed intake. When grazing in autumn on pastures near farmland or vegetable fields, crops should be protected. Once grazing deer get a taste for it, they will develop the bad habit of lingering at the edges, sneaking into fields, and stealing crops, so strict control should be exercised from the very beginning.

Winter grazing

Graze once daily from 9-14.
In this period, choose wind-sheltered, sunny hillsides, ditches, or open forest areas for grazing. On days with strong wind and snow and in the severely cold month of January, it is best to stop grazing. On the pasture, deer mainly feed on fallen leaves, fine twigs of shrubs, and dead leaves and branch tips on hazel. For weaned fawns and growing deer, even in the severe winter season, they should be grazed daily in open areas, roadsides, and shrub thickets near the deer shed, mainly for exercise.