The Deer herd could fair well this winter!

[leech~~]

Well Ice fishings behind and Snowmobiling is non-existent but each day the weather holds out like this makes it just a little better for next years Deer herd! Their still finding some food and staying ahead of the Wolves one day at a time closer to a better year next year!

[Surface Tension]

This weather is more like Iowa's weather.

[certified jumbo]

Minnesota needs a mild winter in the worst way for most species. We need to keep out fingers crossed for a dry mild spring as well.

[ANYFISH2]

I like the prospects for our animals fairing winter well.

I'm sorry, but when was our winter bad last? last year hardly( maybe in far NE MN)!

[mainbutter]

Last year's temperatures weren't terrible, but the snowfall was exceptionally heavy, and not just in the NE. Snow screws up the ability to get food, slows down prey.. It can really affect the wildlife in a big way.

Heck, 2011 experienced many record-setting periods of both extreme extended periods of precipitation and extended periods of a lack of precipitation.. which takes its toll on the wildlife directly and through affecting their food sources.

A winter with no sub-zero weather and very light snow will make this past year's young all the stronger, and will give a boost to this coming year's reproduction.

[leech~~]

Read Doug Smith's article in the Sport section on the bottom of page C14 today. "Among those not missing the snow-Wildlife" He seems to have echoed what I had posted the day before. Huum, I wonder if he reads HSO posts!

[Musky Buck]

Couldn't have hand picked a better winter in my farmland areas that are plowed black and under, a tough winter could've really thinned a thinned herd down to scary levels. 2 of my 3 wintering herds the past 4-5 years are gone completely. Deer seem to be scattered yet, 3 here, 5 down the road over there etc. Doe and fawn there. Don't even want to type this but January 1,2012 we had a 10 point buck chasing a fawn, wherever the fawn went the buck went and the doe didn't seem very fond of his antics. I would hope that little fawn didn't come into heat, but it sure appeared that was the case. That was the best rutting activity I saw all year, on January 1st though no way really ? My dad was like look at that, watched them for 15 minutes or so, the doe just stood still in the backyard watching them in the hayfield which is grass. If it would've been lighter out I could've videoed them darn it.

[ANYFISH2]

Mainbutter, I wasn't trying to say last winter didn't take a toll on wildlife, it clearly did in some areas, but it wasn't "BAD". I was more or less commenting on certified's first sentence, saying that Minnesota wildlife needs a mild winter "in worst way", I felt that was a bit of aggageration.

I hope winter stays mild and easy on wildlife. We do need some moisture for this spring though.

[Bear55]

Loving the weather, the herd in many parts of the NE could use a break.

[certified jumbo]

Lets keep our fingers crossed. We also need spring fawning to go well in the NE as well. Its nice that we won't have 6 months of snow like we did last year.

[Musky Buck]

That little doe fawn wasn't fairing too well the other night, for those of you who read that post can you believe that? I had never seen a buck in pursuit past the 17th of November in my lifetime, dad and I were both glad we saw that or we wouldn't have believed one another, mom wife and kids we all watched, then it got too dark to see. Of course the kids were like why is that buck so mean to that little deer? They were like the mommy wants her baby with her. Should be an interesting July really that's when the bachelor herd shows up, sure hope there's some older deer in the group this summer, the past 5-10 years way dominated by 1st rack rookies.

[nonteepical]

not saying this is the case for sure, but it could be a sign of way more does than bucks, the fawn was never impregnated in her first esterous cycle in december and came into heat again. a couple years ago i had spotted twins during rifle season.

[harvey lee]

So far, jusdt what the deer Gods ordered.

Like mentioned above, if we get through this winter in good shape, we will need a good spring for fawning. Not as wet as last spring. The wet spring last spring probably did more damage to the deer herd than the harsh winter, so the CO explained to me. This was in North Dakota.

[Musky Buck]

The crazy part is nonteep is that my trail cam in my dads yard/field edge had 9 different bucks, 3 mature does and 4 fawns from Sept.-Nov. and pretty much no new comers so for the most part it was 1 buck per each antlerless deer. My guess though is no buck found the fawn as she lived with mom in the creek bottom bedding in the same area day after day and these were the first bucks we'd seen since about October 20th or so, not that they weren't there and nocturnal. The deer are really scattered in our area since we have nearly no snow, they haven't bunched up yet as there is no single spot worthy of a wintering herd according to everything is plowed under so they're wandering around wherever. I'm also not sure if that buck really bred that fawn, he couldn't get within 50 yards of her, she'd run out watch for him, then run away again, then watch, etc. the whole time the doe was in our backyard watching along with us, she eventually walked toward the field to get a closer look then it started to get too dark, you could see them, but not as clearly. The deer definitely needed an easy winter as well as the turkeys, a tough winter would've been bad this year especially.