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Post by dbd870 on Feb 23, 2008 21:38:47 GMT -5
I have had more deer (all does of course) closer to the house than I can ever remember. Had 6 does come through a ravine maybe 20 yds from the house today & this isn't the first time; it started this month. Is the food supply shorter than usual or is it just a fluke?
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Post by gillgrabber on Feb 23, 2008 23:17:10 GMT -5
In my town the deer seem to spend a lot more time near the houses when we get a lot of snow. I think the snow makes it difficult for them to find & eat their normal food supply so they come into residential neighborhoods where they can find more plants, shrubs, etc to snack on.
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Post by jkd on Feb 24, 2008 4:00:29 GMT -5
They're looking for browse this time of year, so likely some good tasting saplings or evergreens nearby... snow's covered up any unplowed crop fields and acorns in the woods...
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Post by dbd870 on Feb 24, 2008 4:26:25 GMT -5
OK, I figured food supply - but I've never seen it like this in the 17 years I've lived here.
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Post by huxbux on Feb 24, 2008 8:01:36 GMT -5
They've been digging the mulch off of the wifes perennials looking for something to eat and nipping the buds off of the white pines around our house for the last couple weeks. It's the norm around here every year about this time. It doesn't even matter if I put out corn or not, they still test out everything they come across this time of year. Means they're running out of food options I suppose.
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Post by drs on Feb 24, 2008 8:33:57 GMT -5
During the winter months; I put shelled corn out inorder to watch the Deer and to see how well the herd is doing on my property. I have been lately seeing more Deer, just before a storm or bad weather hits. Normally between 6 to 10 Deer show up in the early evening hours.
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Post by Hawkeye on Feb 24, 2008 9:24:31 GMT -5
I checked my feeder at the Farm Saturday and the Deer had eaten about 100 lbs of corn this week.
That is a little more than last year at the same time.
A small contribution on my part to help them through the hard times.
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Post by deerpreacher on Feb 24, 2008 17:56:34 GMT -5
I have noticed the same thing. My wife and I watched 17 deer yesterday come from a neighbors back yard where they were chowing down on something.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Feb 25, 2008 7:27:48 GMT -5
Saw a ton of deer @ Atterbury out feeding between 2:00-4:00 Saturday.
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Post by songdog on Feb 27, 2008 19:10:34 GMT -5
I live in a small town and I have 6 to 10 deer around the house on many days. I think they find stuff in bird feeders . They are heavily into browse time. Like me they need a early Spring.
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Post by scrub-buster on Feb 27, 2008 23:03:15 GMT -5
I see deer close to the house every winter. They seem to come around more often when there is snow on the ground. I video'd a 9 pointer browsing all around the house. It was as close as 10 yards away. My son found one of his sheds in the yard while riding his tricycle.
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Post by hornharvester on Feb 28, 2008 0:28:11 GMT -5
The deer are yarded up now. If you see one you most likely will see 20-30 together. The ones Ive been seeing lately are eating in the winter wheat fields. h.h.
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Post by freedomhunter on Feb 28, 2008 4:07:27 GMT -5
Saw a group of 25 yarded up this afternoon feeded on what is left of some waste grain, decent buck in there with both sides still that will be a dandy this year. Passed him at least once last season, somehow he kept his nose clean and didn't get killed.
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Post by mbogo on Mar 7, 2008 12:55:27 GMT -5
In the southern part of the state the crops were harvested extremely early last fall and much of the residue germinated due to the warmer than normal weather. The deer were forced to begin utilizing browse earlier and now many are feeding on what would normally be less desirable food sources, ie. those of lower quality or those in riskier places.
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Post by Rick Lyon on Mar 7, 2008 14:12:06 GMT -5
I've been seeing 40-50 deer in three different fields near the Spraytown / Freetown area. Been a long time since I've seen that many in this area at one time. Deer must be hungry right now.
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