Deer That Survived 195 WSI

West Branch

5 year old buck +
Pulled the first cards last weekend and there are some deer showing up. Our winter severity index measurement ended somewhere around 195-200 which is about as bad as it gets. Only a couple deer were seen on our farm in March as the deer do not usually winter around it. We only found one dead deer on a field edge and it looked like an adult doe, and it had not been killed by wolves.

I was surprised by some pictures that look like last years fawns that survived. It looks like this one may have some nubs growing in? The year should say 2014... not sure who programmed that camera.



Possibly the same two 5 days later:



I think there might be two of last years fawns in this picture, I think those first two deer hang out with this group:



Possibly the same group of deer 20 mins later, this is a field just south of that opening:



Is the round belly likely due to being pregnant?



Another round belly:



They kept coming back to the winter rye, the greenest stuff around! It looked like a group of 6 coming through. The next picture the deer on the far left disappeared and another popped up on the far right.



I think that this doe with the notched ear was around last year. I couldn't find the pictures but I remember that there was one. Maybe preggos?



This buck looks pretty skinny but made it through.

 
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One of the last two Outdoor News had an article by Joe Shead about the number of dead deer he found in the Duluth area while looking for dropped antlers. You might find it interesting.
 
For some reason, I cannot view your pictures.

Does anyone else have trouble seeing them?
 
I can't see the pictures either.
 
I will have to check out that Outdoors News, I think it is set aside with some other mail to go through.

That's odd on the pictures.. I will have to try again.
 
They are now photobucket links so hopefully that works.. I had tried something else that I guess wasn't working even though I could see them.
 
I can see the pictures now. You appear to have quite a few deer running around despite the bad winter. It's really good to see some fawns in that group too.

How long ago was your woods logged? The trees appear to be a uniform size, so I'm guessing they were cut maybe 15 years ago?
 
I can see the pictures now. You appear to have quite a few deer running around despite the bad winter. It's really good to see some fawns in that group too.

How long ago was your woods logged? The trees appear to be a uniform size, so I'm guessing they were cut maybe 15 years ago?

We have ag fields of alfalfa and clover that bring in deer, I am pretty sure the numbers on our farm are higher than the surrounding area. I was wondering how many fawns we would see so it is good to see them.

I think most of the logging in the pictures shown would have about 20 years ago. I would have to ask my dad to know for sure.
 
Man I'm not used to seeing them like that after winter. They get skinnier in MO but nothing like that.
 
Man I'm not used to seeing them like that after winter. They get skinnier in MO but nothing like that.

Not sure if you know how they measure the winter severity index but in MN 1 point is added for each day there is 15 or more inches of snow pack and for each day the temperature is 0 degrees or less. One of the official weather stations about 8 miles NW of our farm measured an average temperature of -.5 from Dec 1 to Feb 28 of this past winter. Some other spots about 20 miles away measured around 3 degrees average for that time. Snow pack was also around 15-30 inches through the first week of April.
 
I’m always amazed how tuff deer are to withstand such brutal conditions. Minnesota’s weather is a story of two extremes, summer is lush with an abundance of food and winter is like Antarctica (barren and frigid for 5-6 months).

Severe winters is why I am planting corn, beans, brassicas and this year am trying dippers early planted Rye/Oats mix. Deer don’t winter on my place but they will stay as long as there is food so I’m trying to shorten the months the deer are without quality food.
 
Not sure if you know how they measure the winter severity index but in MN 1 point is added for each day there is 15 or more inches of snow pack and for each day the temperature is 0 degrees or less. One of the official weather stations about 8 miles NW of our farm measured an average temperature of -.5 from Dec 1 to Feb 28 of this past winter. Some other spots about 20 miles away measured around 3 degrees average for that time. Snow pack was also around 15-30 inches through the first week of April.


Nope never heard of a severity index. They are tough critters.
 
Freeborn...I'd bet that if you had food available throughout the winter, they would indeed stay. That's what happened here last year. Deer used to leave here around the first of the year (info from previous owner and personal prior observations), last year I had corn available and had deer around all winter. My thought is that if does associate this place as being "reliable" year round more of them will make my place part of their home range...more does...more fawns...more deer overall. Only time will tell I suppose.
I'm thinking about that, how much food did you put out last year? Being remote makes things tricky but if I could find a way to get it done I would strongly think about it. Corn/soybeans and grains are easy to come by but I'm not certain how to store and dispense appropriately while not being at my place.
 
Standing corn makes all of the difference in the world for wintering deer.

This coming winter I will have very little standing corn in my foodplots due to all of the rain. Unless things take a dramatic turn within the next week.
 
Your deer look just like mine. I am shocked those fawns made it through. We had snow cover for almost 6 months this year and the snow pack peeked at almost 5'. I had two nubbins around in May but have not seen them in a couple weeks. I still had a doe carrying on 6/3. They still have their winter coats so I think that is why the activity is way down. They are not using my plots at all. My next trip up will be a three week soak so hopefully I will see some fawns. This time of year I get more excited about seeing fawns than bucks ( don't see many of either).
 
Standing corn makes all of the difference in the world for wintering deer.

This coming winter I will have very little standing corn in my foodplots due to all of the rain. Unless things take a dramatic turn within the next week.


It is tough to grow corn in our area. Our growing season is probably a week shorter than your area and we also have heavy soil that takes a while to dry out. There are some small rises with gravel that could probably get planted early enough but then bears would tear apart small corn plots.

We hope that winter rye and brassicas will get enough fat on them for the winters going forward.

The paper mills in Cloquet and Duluth are close enough that a decent amount logging still goes on around here, so I think that helps the winter browse quite a bit.
 
It is tough to grow corn in our area. Our growing season is probably a week shorter than your area and we also have heavy soil that takes a while to dry out. There are some small rises with gravel that could probably get planted early enough but then bears would tear apart small corn plots.

We hope that winter rye and brassicas will get enough fat on them for the winters going forward.

The paper mills in Cloquet and Duluth are close enough that a decent amount logging still goes on around here, so I think that helps the winter browse quite a bit.
Land just to the east of me is heavy and the farmers are struggling over there. Some are turning to sorghum for silage this year.

MDHA magazine once had an article on how deer numbers were greater within 60 miles of a paper or chipboard mill.
 
Standing corn makes all of the difference in the world for wintering deer.

This coming winter I will have very little standing corn in my foodplots due to all of the rain. Unless things take a dramatic turn within the next week.
Sand-mid july planted oats and rye are great winter food. I really like the oats because it is 3' off the ground. You want to plant it early so it heads out. This is a plot under 30"s of snow at the end of Feb. The plot was only 1.6 ares and I can't believe it stayed attractive with the crazy amount of deer using it.
E7F06852-A3F6-4305-9D81-912E0719ABF7.jpg
 
Sand-mid july planted oats and rye are great winter food. I really like the oats because it is 3' off the ground. You want to plant it early so it heads out. This is a plot under 30"s of snow at the end of Feb. The plot was only 1.6 ares and I can't believe it stayed attractive with the crazy amount of deer using it.
E7F06852-A3F6-4305-9D81-912E0719ABF7.jpg
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I might have to try that.

Thanks for the suggestion.]
 
Finally getting through pictures again. The doe with the split ear had twins:

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There is at least one other doe with twins and I think three does with single fawns that have shown up on our farm. Good does to have around putting out fawns after last winter.
 
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