jf5

You are right. The deer love the corn and will eat it all, but its just a filler and adds very little benefit to the deer in any season. IMO, best option is to create winterbrowse for the deer.

tjschwarze

The turnips and clover will be planted for certain, the standing corn was just an idea to make it easier on them in case there is another winter like this year. Considering the potential losses this year, we need to prevent the same thingfrom happening.

Phil from Maine

I am not going to argue whether it is good or not, but the feed alot of them is feeding is in fact corn based and they appear to be doing alright except for those getting hit crossing the roads to get to it.. Also please bare in mind that alot of the corn would get hit hard by raccoons as well and probably wouldn't last to long into the winter months..

Phil from Maine

I know alot of you have heard me rant on about this years winter, but even with the deer being hit crossing the roads they appear to be doing good in this area!Here in town there was 20 deer show up in a field that has become snow free. In 3 smaller fields on the other side of the road there were more deer. So after listening to the wardens I am thinking they are way off in some areas. In a town 10 miles south of here a group of 20 deer were watched crossing the road. They have saw hundreds in the stretch of I-95 where they were cutting. So regardless of how many got hit they appear to be in good shape. The deer are thin right now however but, with green grass to be coming in the next week or so I think they will be OK..In the more northern areas though it maybe questionable though..

tjschwarze

Actually, I spoke with my old man yesterday, and what you are saying about the deer doing quitewell seems to be true. From everything he said, the deer in our area are doing great. Thanks to the food plots, corn fields, and tall pines to slightly defend them against the severe winter, they are still quite abundant. With time, and removal of some of the predator threat, they'll bounce back like animals in the wild often do. We'll get some extra food planted out there so they can pack on the meat, so they can burn it off once the hunters hit the woods again. It was a scary winter though. My mom sent me a picture and the snow is over the roof on the north side of her home. I'm also sure the farther north you go, the worse it gets. My mom lives around Millinocket, and snow is still piled high, though melting slowly.

I wonder what problems will follow up north with so much snow melting all at once. It could have some rough consequences.

Phil from Maine

It could be rough with all the melting if they get alot of rain.. If not it shouldn't be all that bad as the ground never had a chance to freeze. Snow came here early this year and the biggest concern is if we get alot of rain, also ice jams could be bad with rain caused flooding. For as far as predators getting the deer in this area they have not been very bad on them this past winter.