In each of 2 experiments, 6 different yearling white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were fed 6 equicaloric concentrate diets with varying crude protein content. Maintenance requirement for protein was computed to be met by a diet containing 5.8 ? 2.0% crude protein (moisture-free basis). Each additional unit of dietary nitrogen resulted in 0.23 ? 0.01 units increase in retained body nitrogen and 0.66 ? 0.03 units increase in urinary nitrogen loss. Metabolic fecal nitrogen component was estimated to be 0.53 g/100 g dry matter consumed. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 43(4):872-879 The white-tailed deer is valued for aesthetics and hunting; this species can live satisfactorily on land not well adapted to agriculture. Urban development and other encroachments often threaten the deer's habitat. For this reason, among many others, more intensive management is needed. Knowledge of the nutritional requirements of various age-classes of deer and the value of natural foods in meeting these requirements is essential. Smith et al. (1975) reported that fawns require 3.05 g digestible nitrogen per kilogram of metabolic weight (Wo.75) per day for maximum growth. This is equivalent to a dietary concentration of 25% crude protein (CP) on a moisture-free basis when the diet is offered ad libitum. Ullrey et al. (1967) found greater body weight gain in male fawns fed a complete pelleted diet with 22% CP than when the diet contained 14% CP (dry matter [DM] basis). Female fawns gained more weight with 14 than with 8.6% CP in the ration; response was not greater when 22% CP was in the diet. Older deer exhibited lower productivity and suboptimum physical development when fed diets containing about 7.8% CP (DM basis) than when protein content was higher (Murphy and Coates 1966). The work of French et al. (1955) and Magruder et al. (1957) suggests that diet DM for deer older than 1 year of age sh uld have about 7 to 8% CP for body weight maintenance and about 14 to 18% CP for optimum body weight gain. McEwan and Whitehead (1970) found maintenance digestible nitrogen requirement in reindeer and caribou to be 0.46 g/kgW0.75 Change in gross body weight is not closely correlated with changes in body retention of energy or nitrogen (Holter et al. 1977). Changes in water retention, gut fill, and skeletal mass also affect body weight. Deer may simultaneously gain body protein and lose body fat or vice versa (Thompson et al. 1973, Holter et al. 1977). The objective of these experiments was to study the dietary protein needs of yearling deer in relation to body retention of nitrogen and energy. We gratefully acknowledge the technical support of H. A. Davis, B. Mueller, and T. Kenna, and the statistical advice of W. E. Urban, Jr.
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Holter et al. (1979) studied this question.