My deer are starving...

[sits in trees]

Yea they are desperate for food around here with snow cover for several weeks now. I know your not supposed to feed them and I do understand and respect biologist's concerns about unnatural food sources(corn) this time of year and causing tummy upset. But is their anything that we can supplement them with now, I was thinking hay because I have seen them dig thru the snow to an old pile of hay to get at it and they stood there eating no more than 40yds from the back of my house. And deer will eat dormant grasses year round anyhow. Any thoughts would be appreciated as I would hate to see our healthy deer herd with good numbers be depleted by one really bad winter..

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Alfalfa,clover bales do wonders starting out. A couple deer blocks will make them work for a bite or two and they cant stand there and fill their bellies to fast. Get the chainsaw out and drop a few older tree tops for them to get to.  This late in the season you want to start them out slow.  

 We are talkig feeding all the wildlife right? As you know its against the law to feed wild deer. lol   Turkeys like to pick around in that stuff also.  Good luck feeding all your wildlife and try to keep the deer out of it because you would not want to break any laws!! lol 

[reeltime]

while I understand your concerns for the deer with the heavy snow cover most of us are experiencing this winter and our natural urge to feed them to "help" them.   I would NOT put out hay, while they do forage for dormant grasses that is far different than hay in both texture and qty.   when they forage for food they tend to spend far longer doing so than when they happen upon a suplimental feeding area where the food is easily accessible and a larger qty of it,

 

my suggestion would be to feed with a chainsaw,  its the best method for all around health and benefit to both the deer and the woods.  I cut down unwanted maple species,poplars, etc.  limb them up, place 3' pieces of 12" water pipe on the ground and then pile the brush on the pipe. in the spring I generally have to go back and repile the brush on the pipe because the deer usually rip the piles apart.

 

by doing selective cutting you provide a deers primary winter food, woody browse, by placing the brush in a pile on the piece of pipe you are providing a nesting location for rabbits. the benefits to the woods comes in the spring when by removing selective trees allows for more sunlight to reach the forest floor which generates new growth.

 

 

[gjs4]

I remember a vivid argument I got into with a snide old lady that was yelling at us for duck hunting as she through the ducks in the launch parking lot bagel pieces. supplemental feeding kills more animals than it saves in extreme times

[nyantler]

The deer have been fighting through this kind of weather for centuries without any problems... the strong will survive.

[Paula]

A friend has found 2 dead on his property, said they were skin and bones. not dead long.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Although it would be better to use the chainsaw more and hay less, They will do just fine on alfalfa hay. Their stomach acid has already changed to winter mode and they will break down the woody stems of the alfalfa just like a twig.  Now a solid bale of Red Clover would cause more harm. Have been using alfalfa hay for years on both sides of the fence with no problem. Slow is the key word, more so this late in the year. Its to deep of snow to worry about any piles. Just drop some trees in the area that they are wintering in and if they can reach it. They Will.    You can deal with the tree and make rabbit piles when the snow melts!

[SteveB]

Have been using alfalfa hay for years on both sides of the fence with no problem.

 

 

You feeding illegally?

 

[Four Season Whitetail's]

You feeding illegally?

Many animals love alfalfa. I do my best to keep them darn deer out of it. 

[SteveB]

So the answer is yes - thought so.

[Larry]

 

First there not your deer. I hate when someone uses the word my when talking about deer they don’t belong to you unless you have them penned up like cattle.

As long as there is 15ins or less of snow pack on the ground and the habitat is good they will be fine. If there is more than 15ins of snow pack they have about 3 weeks before they start getting in trouble. If the habitat is crap then they were in trouble before winter even started.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Larry

[Four Season Whitetail's]

So the answer is yes - thought so.

Glad you got what you were looking for. Happy,Happy,Happy..Just like the herd!

[sits in trees]

 

First there not your deer. I hate when someone uses the word my when talking about deer they don’t belong to you unless you have them penned up like cattle.

As long as there is 15ins or less of snow pack on the ground and the habitat is good they will be fine. If there is more than 15ins of snow pack they have about 3 weeks before they start getting in trouble. If the habitat is crap then they were in trouble before winter even started.

Your wrong, they live on my land, eat my vegetation, drink from my swamps, eat MY shrubs, eat MY lawn, sleep on my property, crap on my property, die on my property from natural causes and massive blood loss, have sex and reproduce on my property, So Yea they are my freakin deer.

[wooly]

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of chow out there for them this winter in my area, but I know how that can differ from one town to the next.

Check out this link that talks about how Minnesotas DNR has special funds set aside for emergency feeding programs.and how they decide when it's time to step in.

 

http://www.realtree.com/realtree-outdoor-news/minnesota-dnr-oks-feeding-deer-herds-hit-hard-by-old-man-winter

[Arrow Flinger]

You feeding illegally?

 

They come to my wifes bird feeder every day to eat. Am I feeding them illegally?

[Nomad]

Around me,Webster the ones I see most days look good. My hunting partner who lives in the flats of Irondequoit has groups in his yard every day,the text he sent 2 days ago was they were massive .

Can't speak for other areas but northern Monroe county seems good .

[ants]

The deer I see in the fields around me look very healthy. They're digging up the fields that were strawberry, peppers, squash  & cabbage. But a lot of clover was  growing along side of the rows too. I haven't been back to check out the turnip patch in a while but Im sure they are killing that. 20 or so deer out there tonight, and I have seen as many as 60 some odd in the past few weeks. 

I can see the urge to want to feed them though. 

[Geno C]

At around mid night I was getting ready for bed and peaked outside when a few houses down I saw some deer workin in. They were grazing on everything and anything they could. Saw a few of them standing on their hind legs trying to reach high for natural Browse. There was 5, they looked very healthy. I'm sure they are feeding on anything can to keep em going.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

 When they leave their yards and you start seeing them in the streets and where they have not been most of the winter they are starting to have to search for food.  Now untill spring will be the live or die time for many. Some like in Paula's friends area will stay in the yard and search untill they die and others will head out looking for anything. Lets hope this warm up thats coming stays with us for awhile. Mid winter thaw would help in a huge way!

Edited February 16, 2014 by Four Season Whitetails

[Doc]

This has been a nasty winter, but in terms of all the winters that I remember, it's not really all that high on the list. We have had it pretty darn good for the quite a while such that we seem to forget what this time of year traditionally has been like. A lot of this is just the shock of returning to normal.

 

To be honest, the only time that I ever saw a significant die-off was back in the late 80's when we had a winter that makes this one look like a piece of cake. That was coupled with a deer population that never should have been allowed to get any where near that high. The result was a huge yarding situation for an extended period of time, and that made for a significant die-off. It also turned out to be a longer than usual winter extending way out into what is normally considered to be spring. So far this year, none of that is happening (at last not here in WNY). Frankly I don't see this year as being anything noteworthy, and the deer undoubtedly will do just fine without any help as they have done forever. In areas where the population is beyond carrying capacity of the habitat there may be problems. Most likely that is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

This has been a nasty winter, but in terms of all the winters that I remember, it's not really all that high on the list. We have had it pretty darn good for the quite a while such that we seem to forget what this time of year traditionally has been like. A lot of this is just the shock of returning to normal.

 

To be honest, the only time that I ever saw a significant die-off was back in the late 80's when we had a winter that makes this one look like a piece of cake. That was coupled with a deer population that never should have been allowed to get any where near that high. The result was a huge yarding situation for an extended period of time, and that made for a significant die-off. It also turned out to be a longer than usual winter extending way out into what is normally considered to be spring. So far this year, none of that is happening (at last not here in WNY). Frankly I don't see this year as being anything noteworthy, and the deer undoubtedly will do just fine without any help as they have done forever. In areas where the population is beyond carrying capacity of the habitat there may be problems. Most likely that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Drive 150 miles closer to me and see how winter is treating us. I guess we could talk snow mgmt like deer mgmt. Cant balance either the same way in two different parts of the state.

 

Where we used to get a dusting of snow up here 2 or 3 times a week is now a dusting of 4 to 6 inches 2 or 3 times a week.  We had all that ice up here and then all the snow on top of that. In most area's they are not pawing to get to the ground through the ice layer. You can see where they try. Paw down a spot untill they hit the crust and then give up.  There is no doubt there will be die off but i think this warm up thats coming may be a saving grace to some.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Take a good look at body mass. Seen some skinny deer past years with ribs showing, surviving. I start to worry at the point. when I start viewing ribs through their hide.  March is a tough time historically speaking here. Deer will pull down very low to the bone, before they starve.  If you're finding dead deer, that the ribs aren't showing on, then that deer died of other causes.

 

I like the idea of an offset feeding program, if it wasn't illegal in NY.. Then I read articles where actual damage can be done to the herd if sideline feeding methods are used. Kind of turns the need to feed off. Pros and cons to every situation, I guess.

 

A lot of the midwest states offset corn to the deers diet still to date. Corn is carbs, that's what they need right now, the most. Grass hay is also rich in carbs. Heck they don't even worry much about CWD. Humm, maybe NY. pushes issues with wildlife to far to the extreme.

Live Deer Cam _ Crush with Lee & Tiffany.htm

Edited February 16, 2014 by landtracdeerhunter

[nyantler]

Good winters, bad winters, starving deer, healthy deer... somehow the deer still survive and thrive... I wouldn't be terribly concerned about their survival... they have a pretty good track record of getting through this stuff. If you're that concerned start planting more browse type plants on your property that they can feed on naturally during the harsher winters.

[NFA-ADK]

Driving your quad or anything that will break up the frozen snow in areas with food will help.  Planting for winter feed is key in harsh winters.  Hinge cutting as mentioned before is a great thing.   They are amazing survivors.  Winter survival is another reason I find deer so fascinating, like Joe said they are true survivors.  

[Five Seasons]

The deer have been fighting through this kind of weather for centuries without any problems... the strong will survive.

Agreed. It is sad and I get it. Found a dead frozen fawn yesterday with no visible wounds. However a lot of areas are overpopulated as a result partly to some pretty mild winters. We just have to remember that nature will do its thing. The healthy and string will survive. The weak and sick will not. Natural selection

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk