gc39
Full Member
Posts: 79
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Post by gc39 on Dec 11, 2014 16:22:56 GMT -5
I haven't seen anyone use this excuse yet. Does anyone think the last winter we had May have killed off quite a few. It was the worst of my lifetime and can't imagine that it was great on the herd either with all the ice and rediculious cold temps. What are the thoughts on this
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Post by esshup on Dec 11, 2014 16:40:39 GMT -5
That's a possibility. It was a longer and colder winter than has been normal here for a long time. I know that the hard winter has affected the deer herd in the more nothern states like Wisconsin.
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Post by firstwd on Dec 11, 2014 18:17:40 GMT -5
I have been saying that since early in the year. I also believe that would explain the seemingly increased number of bucks with smaller racks with the huge amount of food this year.
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Post by boman on Dec 11, 2014 18:40:04 GMT -5
I wondered about this myself, last winter, and here's what I have observed. I watch the deer in Eagle Creek Park here in Marion County( where they just culled 142 out of 2.5sq. mile section of the park-pretty dense herd) and asked the park people last spring if they were finding any dead deer from the winter and they said no, only the ordinary road kill.
My other observation is where I hunt in Tippecanoe county could be due to the winter or just ordinary herd diversity. The two fawns killed during gun were on the smaller size and the one herd doe killed didn't have the massive amount of fat in her gut that we usually see. YMMV
Steve
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Post by tenring on Dec 11, 2014 22:21:57 GMT -5
Last winter wasn't squat compared to '77 and '78.
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Post by firstwd on Dec 11, 2014 22:27:57 GMT -5
Last winter wasn't squat compared to '77 and '78. True, just the worst since. My area has very few raccoons this year as well.
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Post by ridgerunner on Dec 11, 2014 22:43:57 GMT -5
Yes i think that's a possibility i thought the same thing. With the xtreme cold temps and snow on the ground all winter..the deer had to dig through the snow for food and making food hard to come by, and then they had to work at it to get food..so the net calories intake was probably lower.....burn 100 calories digging in snow for food..for 150 calories of food....after a few months it takes it;s toll on the deer....colder temps means they have to eat more ....good possibility we lost several deer last winter..Our numbers are low this year in West Central Indiana.
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Dec 11, 2014 22:48:21 GMT -5
I'm sure last winter didn't help. Also think that the 8 doe bag limit is hurting my area tremendously.
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Post by drs on Dec 12, 2014 6:05:17 GMT -5
That's a possibility. It was a longer and colder winter than has been normal here for a long time. I know that the hard winter has affected the deer herd in the more nothern states like Wisconsin. That is a possibility, especially if food sources are/were in short supplies. I know that in Michigan they have a large Deer die-off due to Winter conditions. This year, though, at least down here there has been a HUGE crop of Mast for Deer & other wildlife to sustain them this winter. The biggest issue facing Deer numbers in Indiana & other States, is the loss of habitat that HAS these foods needed to sustain the herd during a harsh Winter.
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Post by swilk on Dec 12, 2014 8:09:43 GMT -5
I'm sure last winter didn't help. Also think that the 8 doe bag limit is hurting my area tremendously. Many factors that contribute to the end result .... Im sure there was at least some winter kill last year but I never heard from anyone in my little neck of the woods who found any dead. If it were widespread I would have likely heard something from someone.
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Post by esshup on Dec 12, 2014 9:42:30 GMT -5
That's a possibility. It was a longer and colder winter than has been normal here for a long time. I know that the hard winter has affected the deer herd in the more nothern states like Wisconsin. That is a possibility, especially if food sources are/were in short supplies. I know that in Michigan they have a large Deer die-off due to Winter conditions. This year, though, at least down here there has been a HUGE crop of Mast for Deer & other wildlife to sustain them this winter. The biggest issue facing Deer numbers in Indiana & other States, is the loss of habitat that HAS these foods needed to sustain the herd during a harsh Winter. The weekend before Thanksgiving I was in North Central Wisconsin for our annual deer hunt. Not too far South of Presque Isle. We were trudging thru knee deep snow plus a few inches when we were scouting. Roughly 24" of snow on the ground where we hunted. Not too much farther North than we were, in the UP of Michigan, they had 48" of snow on the ground. I don't know what the deer were doing with that much snow on the ground.... Guys couldn't get to their deer camps, and the local snow machine rental places were all "rented out" of the long track mountain machines. The regular snow machines just bogged down in all that snow. Up there, one of the local radio shows has what they call "The Deer Hunters Roundup" where the different deer camps will call in with reports on how they are doing, and the radio station also has a "biggest buck" daily deer contest. IIRC it's based on antler size and weight. The daily prize is small, like a dinner at one of the local restraunts. The 2nd day of the season, the guy who won that day's contest was the only one to call in with a deer. Last winter they had a long hard winter, and this winter looks like it will be another one. Last year they had periods of thaw and freeze, which made it hard for the deer but the predators like wolves and coyotes could run on top of the snow, making it easier for them to prey on deer. 4 of us hunted sunup to sundown for 3 days and ony saw one doe and 5-6 sets of fresh tracks. There's no agriculture there - it's all big mature woods, so the deer density is low to begin with. Last year and this year there were no doe tags issued, and we didn't see a change in the deer numbers from last year. We think the hard winter and the predators had something to do wtih that.
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Dec 12, 2014 11:11:48 GMT -5
I'm sure last winter didn't help. Also think that the 8 doe bag limit is hurting my area tremendously. Many factors that contribute to the end result .... Im sure there was at least some winter kill last year but I never heard from anyone in my little neck of the woods who found any dead. If it were widespread I would have likely heard something from someone. I did find two dead this spring, the remains anyhow. But that could be from predation, poor health, wounded from the hunting season, etc.....
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Post by boonechaser on Dec 12, 2014 11:30:52 GMT -5
Don't know of any dead deer found from winter kill. And in the whitetail world probably wasn't that bad of winter. Heavy ice and deep snow are 2 biggest threat's to them in winter which we didn't have much of either. Blame need's to be placed where it needs to be and that's OVER HARVEST of antlerless deer. (Who does this??) HUNTER'S.... sure EHD hasn't helped but at the end of the day hunter's have noone to blame but ourselve's. State set's the quota's, but that doesn't mean we have to kill that many. Most don't want to hear it , but it is the truth.
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Post by schall53 on Dec 13, 2014 11:13:59 GMT -5
Boonechaser you are right on the money with that statement.
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Post by michaeladkins on Dec 13, 2014 11:41:23 GMT -5
I wondered about this myself, last winter, and here's what I have observed. I watch the deer in Eagle Creek Park here in Marion County( where they just culled 142 out of 2.5sq. mile section of the park-pretty dense herd) and asked the park people last spring if they were finding any dead deer from the winter and they said no, only the ordinary road kill. My other observation is where I hunt in Tippecanoe county could be due to the winter or just ordinary herd diversity. The two fawns killed during gun were on the smaller size and the one herd doe killed didn't have the massive amount of fat in her gut that we usually see. YMMV Steve My son and I walked the park a lot during the spring and we found several small does and a small button dead. They were just bones when we found them, so I am not certain it was just because of the winter. I don't know if they decompose that quick. All were just skulls.
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