lant tissues...are found at the tips of most vegetation, the tip-feeding deer are usually eating this high-quality new growth" (Hiller 18). Deer can often be seen grazing in fields because this is where this type of high-quality food is plentiful. Although deer are often seen nibbling on grass in open fields, grass tips are not the only food they eat. "They [also] browse on tender leaves and the young shoots of woody plants and vines; however, they prefer to eat weeds and other broadleaf flowering plants, which are called forbs" (Hiller 19). Because nutritional food is so plentiful during this time of year, they graze and search for food often. White-tailed deer continue to eat this type of food through late summer and into early fall. During the fall, however, their eating habits are altered.
             When the fall and winter seasons approach, the deer's sources of food change. Whitetails switch from eating leaves and grass to eating nuts and fruits. Also, deer eat cultivated crops such as apples, corn, and soybeans, which are plentiful during this time of year. Falling leaves and acorns also make up a large percent of a deer's diet. "Finding a good supply of acorns allows a deer to put on its winter fat in a few days, building up a reservoir of energy that is stored until it is needed" (Hiller 21). This fat reserve is imperative for a deer about to battle the harsh winter. "As winter progresses and food becomes more difficult to find, such fat reservoirs may keep the deer from starving during this stressful time" (Hiller 21). The fatty foods that a deer eats before winter not only help put on a food reserve for the winter, but also put on a thin layer of fat under the skin. This thin layer acts as an insulator from the cold, which, in the end, helps conserve energy. Because such little food is available during the winter, a deer must eat heartily during the summer and fall while fo...