how's your deer herd
03-08-2015, 09:41 AM
#11
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Oak Ridge NJ
Posts: 5
My Deer are starting to come around to feed. Its been a few weeks since i`ve had anything on my game cameras. I just went up to my property yesterday and put a bail of alfalfa at each feeder. Pics are from a couple of weeks ago.
03-23-2015, 06:31 PM
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 172
We have not seen a deer in months here in NW CT. We drive the area every day in both wooded and open areas.
It's different this winter. The ground has been covered with snow. We still have 9" or more around here. I don't know what they are eating if they are even alive!
At 10 pm here it's 22F.
It's different this winter. The ground has been covered with snow. We still have 9" or more around here. I don't know what they are eating if they are even alive!
At 10 pm here it's 22F.
03-24-2015, 04:25 AM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
We have not seen a deer in months here in NW CT. We drive the area every day in both wooded and open areas.
It's different this winter. The ground has been covered with snow. We still have 9" or more around here. I don't know what they are eating if they are even alive!
At 10 pm here it's 22F.
It's different this winter. The ground has been covered with snow. We still have 9" or more around here. I don't know what they are eating if they are even alive!
At 10 pm here it's 22F.
03-24-2015, 06:09 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
[QUOTE=Big tine;4188837]My Deer are starting to come around to feed. Its been a few weeks since i`ve had anything on my game cameras. I just went up to my property yesterday and put a bail of alfalfa at each feeder. Pics are from a couple of weeks ago.
IMHO that is not a good thing to do at this time of year when their digestive system is not geared up for that after the long winter they've gone through. You'll probably do more harm and possibly kill them if they eat much of that at this stage when they are still on a browse diet. People really need to read up on things before they "help" the wildlife!
IMHO that is not a good thing to do at this time of year when their digestive system is not geared up for that after the long winter they've gone through. You'll probably do more harm and possibly kill them if they eat much of that at this stage when they are still on a browse diet. People really need to read up on things before they "help" the wildlife!
03-25-2015, 05:22 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Here in SE Alabama we do not contend with the severe winters that you folks up north do.
Where I hunt the main issue is over population. We have worked closely with the state game folks for about 15 years to address this problem. It has amazed me how many deer we take off the 3000 +/- acres we hunt .... year after year and yet see no real drop off in population. Typically we take about 60-80 does and 20-25 decent bucks every year. Last yer we took 68 does and 27 bucks.
Photos on trail cameras we set out almost immediately after the season indicate that there are still plenty of deer hanging on the property. For example, on the 36 cameras we set out, one each on a 36 food plots, in one week's time there were over 65,000 photos. Yep ... 65,000 !! Gobs of does. Lots of young bucks and a hand full of studs that made it another year.
Interestingly enough, there were very, very few photos triggered by turkeys. Unusual for where we hunt .... and so far it has been a dry turkey season for us.
Where I hunt the main issue is over population. We have worked closely with the state game folks for about 15 years to address this problem. It has amazed me how many deer we take off the 3000 +/- acres we hunt .... year after year and yet see no real drop off in population. Typically we take about 60-80 does and 20-25 decent bucks every year. Last yer we took 68 does and 27 bucks.
Photos on trail cameras we set out almost immediately after the season indicate that there are still plenty of deer hanging on the property. For example, on the 36 cameras we set out, one each on a 36 food plots, in one week's time there were over 65,000 photos. Yep ... 65,000 !! Gobs of does. Lots of young bucks and a hand full of studs that made it another year.
Interestingly enough, there were very, very few photos triggered by turkeys. Unusual for where we hunt .... and so far it has been a dry turkey season for us.
03-25-2015, 05:21 PM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Let me expand on what Topper and Oldtimer are trying to get across. During the lean winter months, a deer's digestive system as well as it's metabolism slow down and feed more off it's fat stores. If you suddenly throw out a high protein supplement such as an alfalfa bail, you will more than likely end up giving them colic. Bad mojo in the cold weather for deer. In the warmer spring and summer months, they can get over a bout of colic fairly easily on their own. In the winter time, they don't have the appropriate forage they need to help "loosen" up their bowels or the warmer ground to lay on to help loosen up either. Now, if you have given them this all winter long, then they are used to it and won't end up with colic.
As for the original posters question, the 6 areas I hunt around southern IL have suffered some winter losses but it doesn't seem TOO awful bad as of yet. But this weather this year is freaky to say the least so the Spring fawning may not be very good at all. Then again, may have an explosion! Welcome to Nature, she will never let you know it all and the moment you think you do, she will giggle like a maniac the second you figure it out that you know next to nothing!
As for the original posters question, the 6 areas I hunt around southern IL have suffered some winter losses but it doesn't seem TOO awful bad as of yet. But this weather this year is freaky to say the least so the Spring fawning may not be very good at all. Then again, may have an explosion! Welcome to Nature, she will never let you know it all and the moment you think you do, she will giggle like a maniac the second you figure it out that you know next to nothing!