Feeding wildlife in winter

5 questions and answers about feeding wildlife in winter:

The feeding of wild animals is covered by the hunting lease. The hunter responsible for the area ensures that the wildlife in the hunting ground is provided for throughout the winter. Red deer, fallow deer and roe deer are fed throughout the winter. There are no feeding stations for ibex and chamois. Depending on the weather and food availability, chamois and ibex come down from the mountains into the valleys in winter. In some cases, they may well stray into feeding stations in the valley. This is also the case, for example, with the roe deer feeding trough in Rinn. According to wildlife camera footage, chamois also occasionally feed here.

With food scarce in winter, wild animals tend to feed on young trees if no supplementary feed is provided. Due to the snow cover and frost, tree bark and shoots form part of the wildlife’s diet. To minimise damage to the forest, hunters fill feeding troughs throughout the winter.

The fencing around a wildlife feeding station is not a fence in the conventional sense. The spacing between the individual slats is designed so that only roe deer can access the feeding trough. Red deer, which are considerably larger and broader than roe deer, cannot enter the feeding area because of the fence. Feeding troughs for red deer are not fenced off. The separate feeding points make it easier for hunters to keep track of the animal population. In our region, in the Voldertal valley, we feed red deer.

From November to March, the gamekeeper refills the feeding station every week. Hay (crude fibre) is particularly important. The roe deer are also given concentrated feed pellets. The game will always find a salt lick in the feeding trough.

It is important that wild animals are able to reach the feeding trough in peace and without being disturbed. For this reason, feeding stations are set up in the forest, in deserted clearings and away from footpaths and busy areas.

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Wild animals adjust their metabolism in winter. They do this to conserve energy. They need to make the most of the fat reserves they built up over the summer. Please be mindful! Avoid making noise or causing a commotion in the presence of wild animals. Please keep dogs on a lead.

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For nature lovers interested in the subject of hunting, we have a suitable tour in our winter weekly programme. The guided walk focuses on hunting during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I. Equipped with binoculars from Swarovski Optik, guests will explore Emperor Maximilian I’s former hunting grounds in the Halltal valley.