What Happens to Wildlife in a Drought

By OKFR Staff

Drought is easy to see in a pasture. Grass turns brown, ponds shrink, creeks stop running and crops struggle. It’s harder to see what those same conditions are doing to wildlife.

For deer, turkey, quail and countless smaller species, drought changes much more than how much water is available. It changes where food grows, how much cover the land offers and, in some cases, how successfully animals reproduce.

White-tailed deer are a good example. Deer can go surprisingly long stretches without drinking from a pond or creek if they have succulent plants that supply moisture. During drought, those plants become scarcer and lower in quality. Deer may start eating plants they would normally pass over, and dry years can affect body condition and antler growth. Research in Oklahoma has also shown that fawn production tends to rise and fall with rainfall, so prolonged drought matters when you look at the health of a deer herd over time.

Turkeys face many of the same challenges. Adult birds can get much of the moisture they need from fruits and succulent plants, but drought cuts into those foods. It also affects insects, which young poults depend on. Good brood habitat includes broadleaf plants and plenty of insects, and when dry weather reduces both, young birds have less to eat at a critical stage of life.

Quail may surprise people. Northern bobwhites don’t necessarily need to visit standing water every day. They can get moisture from green vegetation, insects, fruit and even dew. Drought still makes their lives harder by reducing those foods and changing the plant structure they depend on for nesting, feeding and escape cover.

That is why putting out more water isn’t always the whole answer. Oklahoma State University research found that supplemental water can concentrate quail around water sources but hasn’t been shown to increase quail numbers, even in drought years. The bigger issue is habitat. Wildlife need food, cover and space along with access to moisture.

For landowners, some of the best drought help may already be growing on the property.

Avoiding overgrazing leaves more grass and broadleaf plants for wildlife. Leaving brushy areas, native vegetation and field edges undisturbed can provide valuable cover when the surrounding landscape is dry and sparse. Trees and shrubs along creeks and drainages give animals shade, cover and travel corridors.

Water sources still matter, particularly where drought has dried up ponds and streams. If wildlife can reach livestock tanks, ponds or other artificial water sources, make sure animals can get in and out safely. Steep-sided tanks can trap birds and small mammals, so add escape ramps or other exits.

Landowners may also be tempted to start supplemental feeding right away. Feeders and food plots can attract wildlife, but they don’t replace healthy habitat. Food plots may struggle in the same drought that is hurting native vegetation, and concentrating animals around feeders can raise other concerns, including disease transmission and heavy pressure on nearby plants.

Drought also changes wildlife behavior. As resources run short, animals may travel farther or gather around the few places left with food, water and cover. That can make wildlife look more abundant in some spots even while the overall population is under stress.

The effects don’t always end with the first good rain, either. Vegetation takes time to recover, ponds may need repeated rains to refill, and a hard spring or summer’s reproductive losses can’t be reversed overnight.

Oklahoma wildlife are used to changing weather. Dry years are part of the landscape, just like wet years, and most native species have ways of adapting. The longer and more severe a drought becomes, though, the harder those adaptations have to work.

If you want to help wildlife through a dry spell, focus less on replacing everything nature isn’t providing and more on protecting what remains. Conserving cover, avoiding unnecessary disturbance, managing grazing carefully and keeping water sources safe can give wildlife a better chance until the rain returns.