How do they survive?

[nd chickenman]

Some winters they die that's the way nature intended it. Up here in the north country piggy banking deer only works as long as the weather let's it. The posted land and leases that have had the habitat destroyed won't support the deer through winter, so they die. Only way to control the population in some places.

[d. ward]

Well said V13,if we do not interfer with them they will generaly make it OK as they have for 100,000 years.Those darn freeways are blocking there natural migration route.bowdoc

[LKH]

MN uses some kind of severity count.  For each day below 30 degrees they add a point.  For each day with more than 15" of snow they add a point.  When they get above a certain level they predict losses.  Maybe one of the Minnesnowtans can find out for us.  I have killed dry does in Northern MN with over 3" of fat over the butt.  Killed big bucks at the end of the rut that were almost fat free.  Don't know how they make it, but they do.

[Aeronut]

Seems like the weather is acting crazy everywhere.  Yesterday morning at 5am it was 64 degrees here.  At noon it was 24 degrees and still dropping with 35 mph winds.
Stay warm if possible guys & gals.

Dennis

[Roadkill]

When I lived in WI the deer herded up in heavy winters and "yarded"  They made paths they all followed to conserve energy and went o whatever they could find to feed on.  Out here, they tend to just lay out teh very cold windy days in protective ravines.  There is aherd of about 8 does on the far sdie of the airport and thye can be seen at mid day feeding.  they conserve enegry and often only move to feed when it is the warmest time of the day.  Traditional feed is forgotten and they eat bark off the sage and other bark they can get.  I don't know how they do it either, but I have found impressions where they just curled up in the snow and let it drift over them.

[jerrod]

I like to buy a bag of deer feed from the local feed mill.  It costs $11.00 for a bag of corn mixed with molasses and salt.  The deer love it and it helps on those cold winter nights.  Even after the corn is gone they dig a hole where the salt and minerals were.

[jerrod]

I forgot to mention the bags are 100lbs.  I ration it out because they will eat it all in a couple days if you put it all out at once.  you wouldn't believe all the wildlife that comes to these piles.

[bowdude]

Well it's official for this area of Wi anyway.   Snowfall records of 124 years recording were already broken and we got almost another foot today.  And of course there are more sub zero days coming this week.  I guess I will have to get out this spring and see what trophies I can find laying around mouse and squirrel chewed.  I don't hold much hope for any real big boys living unless they didn't bother to rut!  The winters have been so mild the past 10 years, nothing living here has seen anything like this, unless they are over 124 years old maybe!  We  are around 90 inches for the season with months to go.   I saw a kill about 15 years ago in western Wi where it took an estimated 35% of the herd according to the local game biologist.  It will be interesting to see the result here.

[alpinehunter]

This might lead you to some answers..These critters are tough..been doing it for thousands of years,,most(not all) will be fine!!

 http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/index.php/2008/02/14/winter-severity-index-for-deer-is-average-so-far/

[Can Hahaka]

Went out chasing bunnies (didn't find any) this weekend before the rain and sleet hit.

Tough part is that there is 2-3" of snow on top of a crust and then another 15-18" of snow. Nothing supports my fat a$$- so I see it all.

Dern fox jumped up @ 20 yards and I threw a blunt at him and he waved at me with his tail.

[TonyW]

Vermonster nailed it. North American birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are some of the toughest creatures on earth, able to make it through ice ages and wild extremes in temperature.
Now that people are building everywhere, deer in Maryland are even populating every available green space inside the Baltimore beltway.
And remember, it is the weakest part of the herds that die off - the most fit will be back!

[Brian Krebs]

In 1951 - the year I was born; over 50,000 deer died in the upper peninsula of Michigan ( as have an equal number many winters since). Deer die off; some survive...the beat goes on.

 Deer will move from heavy forested cedar swamps when transplanted there; back to over grazed cedar swamps and die. The difference is only 6 or 7 degrees in temperature difference. They will starve to stay a little warmer.

 The elk and deer are surviving the cold days here by eating the cattle and horse hay. Its not unussual for them to eat a couple tons a night if they can break down whatever barrier there is on the hay. I have trouble with them jumping the fence and eating with my horses and donkeys. They will chase my stock away to eat. I can't blame them; but we have run out of hay in this area; with anywhere from 165 to 600 elk in the area everyday.

 While I do love to hear the cows mewing all night; its just not acceptable being the top of the food chain; and being chased out of my barn by a determined elk.