2013-2014 Winter Severity Index

[zepman]

And in some parts of the state, we will (or should) still be intensive, or at the very least managed. Not a lot of the state, but there's still areas with plenty of deer, so don't oversimplify the populations in the state.

+1

[MahtowaDave]

+2

Agreed. Pretty ignorant statement on my part regarding the "no doe permits for the entire state." Just like there are some areas that have some real problems, there are areas filthy with deer too. I guess I'm pretty sore about the intensive harvest history in our state, I feel like it had its place, but that it went on too long and in many areas that just didn't support it numbers-wise and I am afraid that we might make the same mistake in the areas that currently hold good numbers. I feel that that would be a shame. Having said that, I need to think of those whose hunting could be directly affected by my opinions about it. I really don't have an agenda other than protecting what we still have and I want to be proactive about getting my opinion out there rather than quietly going about my business, counting on everything just working out by following what the regulations tell us is O.K.. I need to be more careful about how to express that. Sorry about that guys.

[SmellEsox]

I agree with your original statement MahtowaDave. I think 5 deer limits should always be rare. There are always people who want fewer deer than most people want. I think deer should be managed for a socially acceptable number, but more on the hunter's side than anyone else.

[Jameson]

And in some parts of the state, we will (or should) still be intensive, or at the very least managed. Not a lot of the state, but there's still areas with plenty of deer, so don't oversimplify the populations in the state.

In your experienced opinion which is better and why; Early antlerless season 2 deer limit with regular season Intensive limit of 5 OR Early antlerless season limit 5 with regular season Managed limit of 2?

My non-experienced opinion is that the EA season of 5 is better, because it lets the hunters concentrate on killin does when the hunter's aren't pre-occupied chasing antlers.

Just curious and wondering how the EA season went this year. Wonder if the DNR considered it a success?

[mntatonka]

In your experienced opinion which is better and why; Early antlerless season 2 deer limit with regular season Intensive limit of 5 OR Early antlerless season limit 5 with regular season Managed limit of 2?

My non-experienced opinion is that the EA season of 5 is better, because it lets the hunters concentrate on killin does when the hunter's aren't pre-occupied chasing antlers.

Just curious and wondering how the EA season went this year. Wonder if the DNR considered it a success?

That would depend on your ultimate goal I suppose, and how quickly or drastically you are trying to drop the population. It would also depend on each individual situation regarding how much land is essentially unhunted.

I don't think the early antlerless seasons in the sub-permit areas in 2013 had any effect on the population. The areas they were in were too confined and didn't give many hunters an opportunity to participate. I don't think there were many more than a dozen hunters in the "Zone B" sub-permit area, and our party was 10 of those.

It really doesn't matter when you shoot them, they still can't have antlers. Those who are willing to control the population by shooting multiple does in these high population areas usually aren't too concerned about chasing antlers.

I do know that it seems to be considerably tougher to harvest them in October during the early antlerless season, due to most crops still being in and the majority of the underbrush/foliage still being thick and green (at least in Zone 3 where I deer hunt). Because of that, I would have to say that if you're trying to reduce a population, the best way to do it without using a harvest restriction (EAB, etc.) is to have a 5-deer limit during the firearms seasons, and a 2 or 5 deer limit during the early antlerless.

[Jameson]

...I do know that it seems to be considerably tougher to harvest them in October during the early antlerless season, due to most crops still being in and the majority of the underbrush/foliage still being thick and green (at least in Zone 3 where I deer hunt). Because of that, I would have to say that if you're trying to reduce a population, the best way to do it without using a harvest restriction (EAB, etc.) is to have a 5-deer limit during the firearms seasons, and a 2 or 5 deer limit during the early antlerless.

Thanks for the response.

The EA seasons I've hunted North of the Cities we didn't have much trouble filling our tags in October. Suppose that may change between locations.

It'll likely never happen, but I am in favor of a late doe hunt when necessary. I know, I know....too cold, bucks might have dropped their antlers, blah, blah, blah. Seems like the does would be hitting the food as hard as ever and the foliage surely wouldn't be a problem.

[mntatonka]

Thanks for the response.

The EA seasons I've hunted North of the Cities we didn't have much trouble filling our tags in October. Suppose that may change between locations.

It'll likely never happen, but I am in favor of a late doe hunt when necessary. I know, I know....too cold, bucks might have dropped their antlers, blah, blah, blah. Seems like the does would be hitting the food as hard as ever and the foliage surely wouldn't be a problem.

I'd certainly have no problem with a late doe season. Taking a shed buck or two is a risk you take when you're trying to lower/control a population. A late season could be added if the doe harvest wasn't as high as it should have been during the firearms season. Granted, that would also require a DNR that has a reasonable goal, and is able to get accurate harvest data right away (not 3 months after the seasons like they are now)

[Musky Buck]

lol but should be tranquilizing these excess does and moving them north lol.

[InTheSchool]

March is here. Minus 24 this morning and snow up to the crotch of a tall Swede. High forecast for minus 10 to minus 15. What now?

[certified jumbo]

Not a 30 degree high temperature in next two weeks.....

[smsmith]

March is here. Minus 24 this morning and snow up to the crotch of a tall Swede. High forecast for minus 10 to minus 15. What now?

Let the winterkill begin

In a meeting with Paul Telander Thursday he indicated that this winter will be "much more severe" than last winter. I don't know how he can state that seeing as winter's impact isn't really felt until the end of March and into April. That said, if the long range forecast is accurate....he's probably going to be correct.

[minky]

I am hoping the long range forecast will be wrong.

If we could even get a two week span of above average temps it would help.

[LABS4ME]

Not a 30 degree high temperature in next two weeks.....

Hmmm... Been hearing the exact opposite... Long range is continual warming trend beginning mid-week...

Just checked accuweather for Parker's Prairie... 7 out of next 14 days above freezing. A few in the 40 range.... Gonna hold onto that for now! This last blast is a real blow... Let's hope they get through next 3 days....

Good Luck!

Ken

[kkahmann]

You guys know them weathermen all drink.

[certified jumbo]

Ken I hope you are correct. I don't check avcuweather. But did and you are correct they are showing a major warmup end of next week. 40s and even close to 50. However, everybody else is showing much cooler temps than that

[smsmith]

Hmmm... Been hearing the exact opposite... Long range is continual warming trend beginning mid-week...

Just checked accuweather for Parker's Prairie... 7 out of next 14 days above freezing. A few in the 40 range.... Gonna hold onto that for now! This last blast is a real blow... Let's hope they get through next 3 days....

Check out that long range forecast now. Mine for Long Prairie has 3 of the next 14 with temps above 32, of those 41 is the highest temp

[Musky Buck]

Was on quite the tour this past weekend, definitely saw some Mille Lacs County deer that looked to be about done, saw other deer trying to dig through a beanfield that had been plowed last fall, those deer were in Ottertail County and why they were digging in our neighbors field when there's 0 or minimal food there I don't know. Let's say some warmer temps come they always do about now, is there enough nutrition to do them any good ? Saw a lot of deer, most looked very stressed, the snow pack is rock rock solid.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

why they were digging in our neighbors field when there's 0 or minimal food there I don't know.

Desperate times require desperate measures maybe??

50th day of below zero temps recorded today for this winter.....

[smsmith]

50th day of below zero temps recorded today for this winter.....

66th here in L.P. according to accuweather

[Musky Buck]

No doubt HockeyBC, this was Friday night in brutal wind, they were exposed and digging down in a plowed beanfield, I hunt that field otherwise I wouldn't know what was under it, maybe 30 of them, seemed like the standing corn deer that found it looked very good, very frisky and healthy, deer that got pinned by weather/snow or never found those fields are the ones that I wonder about, it is what it is and there is and will be some sort of a % of the deer that don't make it. When I think about deer feeding and do you think there's maybe 10,000 people/farmers that do it maybe in MN that might be too high I guess ? If so and they each have 10 deer coming daily, that is getting 1/8 of the deer population through winter, if the average is 20 deer per feeder then it's 2/8ths or 200K that get help making it through. Either way, I hope we get a better winter next year and thank heavens for wet corn this fall or it would be worse overall.

[JIvers]

I hope none of you are pinning your hopes for the deer herd on Accu Weather's long range forecasts, because you're probably going to be disappointed.

There is a reason weather.gov, the NOAA's official site, gives only general predictions for more than two or three days out, and nothing at all beyond a week. That way, they're wrong a lot less of the time.

[slimngrizzly]

Warm or cold, sooner or later.... there ain't a thing any of us can do about it!

Id say hope for the best and don't assume everything is dead till you go out and find carcasses everywhere this spring. Whether you have 99% or 15% survival, your best bet is to make sure THOSE deer do well! Make sure you have your mineral sites up to snuff now or ASAP. If and when we do get some relief, the deer that are still upright and breathing will be happy to get any help they can! Till then be confident, they're tough buggers!

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

Make sure you have your mineral sites up to snuff now or ASAP.

I sure wish minerals alone would keep me alive.... the fact is, they wont. Deer need food just like we do....

Quote:

there ain't a thing any of us can do about it!

There is nothing I can do to help my localized deer? Odd, I have food plots and recently placed alfalfa bales out at our hunting land and deer are there eating the food.

And dont start shaming me for feeding deer. The farmer up the road about a mile has deer eating out of his round bales and a corn crib regularly.

[smsmith]

Yep ^^^

Pretty sure the tons of brassica forage I provided my local deer from last summer through the time they were covered with too much snow made a difference. Also pretty sure the 1400 lbs of shell corn I've fed them since early January has made a difference too. I'll keep feeding them til the snow pack is gone.

Mineral sites are fun to do for getting trailcam pics and may provide deer with something....but they certainly do not help a deer in spring recover from a bad winter.

[LABS4ME]

I hope none of you are pinning your hopes for the deer herd on Accu Weather's long range forecasts, because you're probably going to be disappointed.

There is a reason weather.gov, the NOAA's official site, gives only general predictions for more than two or three days out, and nothing at all beyond a week. That way, they're wrong a lot less of the time.

Nope... Still pinning my hopes on it. I realize they are wrong more than they are right, but they (along with all weather outlets) are still trending warmer temps for the next 2 weeks. There are a couple of cool days in the mid to upper teens, but I'll still take those over single digits. There is a trend beginning right now to fight back towards more average temps... we may stay alittle below them, but 25 vs. 35 is a minor differnece as opposed to 25 and -5. The deer That are left will be less stressed with the upcoming temps than the ones they just got through...

Good Luck!

Ken