DNR to Allow Emergency Deer Feeding in Northern MN

[vman11]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/245274831.html

[minky]

I think most hunters and nonhunters support this move.

This won't help the deer by my land but there is ag land there so I am hoping the deer will make it.

[certified jumbo]

wow this is surprising

[nonteepical]

I think it's more to the fact that they have (DNR) been reminded that deer hunters have been paying .50 per liscense for quite a while, as stated in the article and the're feeling somewhat obligated to show good faith. Wich they should.

[Jameson]

hhmmmm....Wonder who the new group is this year that applied some pressure to the DNR to get this going?

Feeding the deer this winter does seem to be the correct thing to do. The hunters have been paying into a fund to do just that. Not doing so would be blatantly dishonest, something the DNR can't be right now with all the attention thrown their way lately. I would be surprised if there isn't a big push by the DNR to get rid of the emergency deer feeding fund next year as I don't believe they think it is a good thing to be doing.

[RumRiverRat]

Just fattening them up for the Wolves?

[minky]

Hope not!

[Getanet]

hhmmmm....Wonder who the new group is this year that applied some pressure to the DNR to get this going?

New group? Do tell. By all accounts it was the MDHA. The same group all the new groups love to bash.

[mntatonka]

hhmmmm....Wonder who the new group is this year that applied some pressure to the DNR to get this going?

Feeding the deer this winter does seem to be the correct thing to do. The hunters have been paying into a fund to do just that. Not doing so would be blatantly dishonest, something the DNR can't be right now with all the attention thrown their way lately. I would be surprised if there isn't a big push by the DNR to get rid of the emergency deer feeding fund next year as I don't believe they think it is a good thing to be doing.

New group? It's pretty obvious that it was in part a push from the corporate office of MDHA that helped approve feeding. Whether feeding is a good thing or not is another debate.

[B. Amish]

waste of money. good luck. deer are wild animals. what's next, emergency turkey feeding? moose feeding?

[mntatonka]

hhmmmm....Wonder who the new group is this year that applied some pressure to the DNR to get this going?

Feeding the deer this winter does seem to be the correct thing to do. The hunters have been paying into a fund to do just that. Not doing so would be blatantly dishonest, something the DNR can't be right now with all the attention thrown their way lately. I would be surprised if there isn't a big push by the DNR to get rid of the emergency deer feeding fund next year as I don't believe they think it is a good thing to be doing.

Here's the statement from this "new group":

Emergency Winter Deer Feeding - After several meetings between MDHA and DNR regarding low deer numbers and deer feeding, DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr has reversed DNR's previous decision and has approved an organized emergency winter deer feeding effort in NE MN. While the details are still being drafted, MDHA will work with DNR to implement the program, coordinate volunteers, work with DNR to identify pockets of deer in winter deer yards, document distribution of feed deer yards, etc. MDHA chapters, members and additional volunteers will be at the heart of this effort. Stay tuned for further information. MDHA and DNR will publicize details over the next couple of weeks. Please be patient as the feeding effort will probably take until close to March 1st to get off the ground.

[CaptainMusky]

In general I am glad they are taking measures to help the deer through the difficult conditions currently in place, but I fear that this will concentrate even more deer in a small area making them more susceptible to predation.

Granted they are probably already yarded up, but this may make them sitting ducks for the wolves. I hope I am wrong.

Not doing it probably doesnt make a huge difference.

[TiredFisherman]

I live in Silver Bay and they are feeding on the North Shore yet we have huge amounts of snow and cold. The state Parks say the deer are killing the trees. Not fair for the deer hunters.

[Jameson]

New group? It's pretty obvious that it was in part a push from the corporate office of MDHA that helped approve feeding. ...

You don't really believe that do you?

The DNR reacted due to the heat from the MDDI. Now that the DNR has to do something they are giving the credit to the MDHA to give credibility to the MDHA in the future. The MDHA is the DNR's puppet...that the hunters watch and mimic.

Do you have any proof that the MDHA has been working with the DNR on this issue for the past several weeks? I'm pretty sure I could get someone to post some proof that folks at the MDDI have been requesting emergency deer feeding recently.

[Getanet]

Do you have any proof that the MDHA has been working with the DNR on this issue for the past several weeks? I'm pretty sure I could get someone to post some proof that folks at the MDDI have been requesting emergency deer feeding recently.

You're funny. Did you read the first link in this thread? How about this one:

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S3319664.shtml

Or this from the MDHA Fbook page:

Winter Severity & Deer, What do you think? - Late Friday morning, 2/7/14, MDHA's State President Denis Quarberg and Executive Director Mark Johnson joined a teleconference with DNR Deputy Commissioner Dave Schad, F&W Director Ed Boggess, F&W Asst. Director Kathy DonCarlos, and Wildlife Chief Paul Telander. The meeting discussed Winter Severity Index (WSI) and potential Emergency Winter Deer Feeding. The last time emergency winter deer feeding was initiated in MN was winter 1996/97. With current WSI quite high in some northern parts of MN, emergency feeding is being discussed.

Just checked Brooks Johnson's HSOforum and blog. Not one word on about feeding, so if you have some proof please share it. Of course, if the MDDI did apply some heat, and believe it's best for the deer, congratulations to them too.

I suppose you believe the MDHA volunteers helping to disperse the food is untrue and more propaganda...

[Getanet]

Few more made up news sources for you:

http://www.outdoornews.com/February-2014...ng-this-winter/

http://www.twincities.com/ci_25131259/mi....twincities.com

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/291407/

[Finlander]

I just don't get how any money going into any source be it DNR or whatever can benefit deer as the deer don't know how to spend money. And what does the deer licence money do for deer? Where is the money from hunter, etc., going and what good does this money do for deer?

[mntatonka]

You don't really believe that do you?

The DNR reacted due to the heat from the MDDI. Now that the DNR has to do something they are giving the credit to the MDHA to give credibility to the MDHA in the future. The MDHA is the DNR's puppet...that the hunters watch and mimic.

Do you have any proof that the MDHA has been working with the DNR on this issue for the past several weeks? I'm pretty sure I could get someone to post some proof that folks at the MDDI have been requesting emergency deer feeding recently.

I haven't seen anything from the dnr or any news articles mentioning mddi as a driving force in getting feeding approved. The only organization that has been mentioned in any posting is mdha. I'm not saying the guys involved with mddi haven't been pushing, simply that they obviously weren't the main force behind the change.

MDHA is a long ways from a puppet of the dnr. The organization has gone around the dnr multiple times to fulfill the wishes of its members (as has every other wildlife organization).

[rkhinrichs]

TiredFisherman- I hunt the gooseberry special hunt the past three years. and this past year was my least number of sightings. I talked to a park ranger and the deer are doing a number on the cedars trees! that why they have fences around a bunch of them. Your right it is not fair for us on the north shore!

[tfran123]

waste of money. good luck. deer are wild animals. what's next, emergency turkey feeding? moose feeding?

Classic response. Have you ever been involved in such an exercise? Probably not I'm assuming, just sounds like a waste to you without knowing how effective winter feeding can be.

In '95-'96 we had about 55-60 deer in our local yard, quite stressed and we did a late March feeding with pellets, probably saved half of the deer. Wouldn't recommend these "feedings" very often, they are called emergency for a reason and if you can get the feed close the yard and follow up keeping them fed for a period of time you will really mitigate starvation. I've seen it, it works, and have little doubt we have areas in the state that could use some help.

[Musky Buck]

tfran my 80 was the spot in an emergency feeding of 1995-1996, I remember laying alfalfa pellets on top of a slice of hay, I remember some corn being brought in there by the locals, etc. I remember the deer ate everything leaving those pellets for last they really didn't take to them much in a way until the hay and corn were gone. When I drove by my 80 last weekend there were 50 deer on the highway and hounds running coyotes everywhere, what's worse the weather/snow/cold or pushing these deer all over the place every weekend or after a fresh inch of snow ? Trying to save a few fawns by stressing the does carrying them ? idk, I'm kinda with Amish the strong will survive and I think it would be better for sportsmen who care to buy some standing corn as near to wintering grounds as possible vs. waiting for the DNR to kick in alfalfa pellets or if you know of a small herd you can feed till Greenville go ahead if they're in trouble, if you can get it their, ag deer seem ok to me or at least haven't heard or seen any mortality yet, depends now on the spring and hoping for minimal badness.

[tfran123]

corn is about the worse thing you can give them, they need a mixture of things - granted in ag country it's a bit different. But up north you can feed deer corn and it's a good way to kill deer. Otherwise I somewhat agree, feeding responses should be very infrequent, and if not done correctly it will have a negative outcome.

[Beast26]

I live in the northwest metro and have been feeding the neighborhood deer all winter long. I have been changing it up quite a bit between sunflowers, corn (haven't fed them corn since early Dec) and even old grass clippings which they seem to be eating the heck out of. I have the huge pile in the back corner and every year they paw down to it and eat the entire thing during the winter. Yes it attracts mice during the summer but it feeds a heck of a herd in the throughout the winter. Next year I am going to look into getting a couple round bales dropped in my backyard which I can then toss over the fence. Still amazed that with the tough winter we have had I still have about 4-5 bucks that haven't dropped their antlers.

[Musky Buck]

On the surface it sounds like the right thing to do kinda, but for me since the snow depth in our area is ok, I say forget the feeding, that 1995-1996 the snow was nearly impossible to walk through and that isn't the case there now, if anything the short range weather has a warm up coming with not much snow, however I accuweathered and it said 4-8" starting sunday night-Monday but did not hear anything like that on the local weather news last night so idk, but the deer need 8 pounds of browse roughly for each 100 pounds they weigh is what I've heard, I think because of where deer numbers are and the unknown of when they'll rebound that this is a bit more of a heated issue, I'm almost thankful I'm not but having lower deer numbers leaves more browse for what is out there and less chance of disease somewhat so leave it be and hope spring hits us earlier some then we thought it might, if I knew the March weather it would be easier to start feeding in places, up north especially, but do the wolves hone in on these feeding sites if so then it would really seem to be a waste of $ and time and effort.

[Pinusbanksiana]

170 thousand is a drip in the bucket for DNR budget. They pi$$ that much away and frivolous stuff all the time. Feeding is a waste, but certainly not that important of a decision to argue about it.