2013-2014 Winter Severity Index

[smsmith]

I'm sure hoping accuweather's long range is close to accurate. Right now it looks like a real nice warm up come the second week of April or so.

[LABS4ME]

I've read the forecasts 3+ weeks out is just a mix of trend and averages... so I try to not look out past 2 weeks... which is a big stretch. 3-5 days being about as far as they can legitamately see and still be about 50-50!

Good Luck!

Ken

[smsmith]

I've read the forecasts 3+ weeks out is just a mix of trend and averages... so I try to not look out past 2 weeks... which is a big stretch. 3-5 days being about as far as they can legitamately see and still be about 50-50!

Good Luck!

Ken

Push comes to shove, there's really no reason to look past 3-5 days (as previously stated)....that doesn't mean a guy can't hope

[minky]

Yep, I will take highs 20s to 30s any day over negative temps!

[slimngrizzly]

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

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.

Ya...LOL... I guess I meant as far as the weather goes...

Im in the same boat, you'd have a tough time finding anyone that feeds anymore bales, plots, or piles than myself as well. "My" deer are looking great and I have no worries.

As far as panicking that the herd throughout greater MN is in trouble, I say there nothing you can do about it. Take care of your locals if you can. But you cant be feeding every deer in MN.

[hockeybc69]

Agreed....

[JIvers]

I've read the forecasts 3+ weeks out is just a mix of trend and averages... so I try to not look out past 2 weeks... which is a big stretch. 3-5 days being about as far as they can legitamately see and still be about 50-50!

Good Luck!

Ken

Yeah, every year I catch myself starting to check those ridiculous thirty and forty-five day forecasts in early October, hoping to get an idea of what way the wind will be out of on deer opener. That's how I know they are never accurate. Yet I still keep checking them through first ice...

[smsmith]

Updated WSI map

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/deer/wsi_dpa_map14.pdf

[hockeybc69]

Well, under last years scale the DNR used, we would be beyond severe at this point. But with the updated scale we are still only mild.

[Bear55]

Pretty brutal in the NE, might have to adjust plans a bit and spend more time in other parts of the state.

[lakevet]

We have hunted the same area over 100 years, not changing now. There always are some deer around. Just have to adjust tactics and spend more time In the woods.

One thing now is a 70 pound dog can run on top of the crust we have. That may have potential for trouble making by wolves and peoples pets.

[certified jumbo]

Up to 12 inches in northern Minnesota tonight, followed by cold.....

[not_nuf_time]

Wow, congrats to you for being that mobile to hunt that deep in your life,

[Coach]

I was out on my piece of land north of Mora last Saturday, 2+ feet of snow yet. I found 3 dead yearlings, two were brought down, one just laid down. What was interesting was neither of the two that were brought down was eaten that much? Is that normal? I put a camera over one of them, I want to see what comes back. My neighbor said that he found one yearling also.

[Getanet]

That is odd. Think it could be dogs instead of wolves? I hunt north of Mora as well - don't like to hear that.

[Bear55]

We have hunted the same area over 100 years, not changing now.

Ya I know the feeling, still have to hunt our traditional ground. Just likely more time off with the bow vs rifle season vacation.

[Deet]

The whole Arrowhead is over 180 WSI (severe) as of March 26th, and I'm sure we've earned 7 more points since then as the snow base is still well over 15" in the woods.

And we just got another half-foot of snow!

[Bear55]

Probably time to shut down the doe permits in the NE.

[lakevet]

Deer are back on grass/non woody plants in the fields and woods now. They had eaten tops of trees I thinned back in march, but not as much as expected. With warmer weather they are moving much more. Pleasantly surprised at amount of deer and deer sign. Definitely some weak ones, but still no evidence of wolf or dog impact in our area. I think most of the weak ones will make it now. Get some fawns on the ground and there should be a decent amount of deer this fall, way better than back in the 70's and early 80's. Might have to hunt a little harder, but that is fine as it means more time in the woods

Just another winter in Minnesota. Nothing new.

lakevet

[BuckSutherland]

You are a little more optimistic than I am. I have to imagine the does aborted more fawns than normal. I have seen a few deer around the area down here and I thought they looked pretty terrible.

[smsmith]

Just another winter in Minnesota. Nothing new.

2nd coldest winter on record for the last 114 years here...I'd have to say that's not "just another winter"

[lakevet]

This winter was just another Minnesota winter to me. What was abnormal and a bit scary to me was some of the real warm winters we have had. Made me wonder if ice fishing was going to be a one month sport.

All I can say is that there are more deer now this spring in our little part of NE Minnesota than early in my hunting career and definitely still way more deer than after the long winters back to back of the mid 1990's. And yes our WSI is somewhere North of 180 for this past winter.

For those who are into " carrying capacity" and that our herd is below the carrying capacity of the habitat, explain to me why we are so whacked about deer not having enough food etc to make it through last winter, all why organizing to have more deer around because the habitat supposedly could support more deer ( even through winter). Winter carrying capacity is the important number. And severe winter carrying capacity is THE bottleneck the deer herd WILL go through sooner or later, especially in NE Minnesota.

Winter habitat is the key, guys. Talk to the DNR about how to improve winter habitat if you own property. Do it right and the deer will be fed without you going out there to bring them something.

Oh by the way, my ancestors hunted here after surviving the worst winter in 114 years. They came to NE Minnesota almost 125 years ago. To them it was hunting heaven, compared to Europe. I still think it is pretty good hunting around here. Way more crowded than 125 some years ago, but that is true just about everywhere. Now the taxes in this state are a whole different matter. .

lakevet

[Jameson]

At least this year we had a somewhat normal spring, so far. Lake Minnetonka's ice is out on a rather normal, slightly late, day 4/24, not the record late ice-out of last year of 5/1. We had snow fall in the first week of May last year, too. I really believe that last spring took a toll on the MN deer herd, something the WSI doesn't take into consideration.