Last year's long winter. How has it affected wildlife in your area?

Well I have been seeing a lot of does with twins the last while around where I hunt,earlier I watched a young buck chase a couple does around when I was leaving my hunting area. It was rather fun to watch him chase them.
 
blasted_saber said:
Winter in Ontario was harsh, but that doesnt mean deer in BC (for example) were effected by it. It wasnt a terrible winter Canada-wide.

As for MNR, they cut tags this season already dramatically (my unit saw a 75% decline in anterless tag numbers) and if this winter goes as expected (supposed to be like last winter) we may see a decline again or at least hold steady of the tag numbers for next year. If its mild, we may see an increase, or at least hold steady. It will mostly depend on the winter.

The most important thing is making sure you fill out your deer hunter survey. MNR will need all the data they can get.
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IIRC, with the "polar vortex", we had a freezer in the middle of Canada, and a normal to warmer winter on the coasts. It is indeed being predicted that something like last winter could happen again. No deer for me this year.
 
I have seen wolf, coyote, grizzly and black bear tracks 40 times for every deer track. Seen one single doe in 4 weeks. None of the moose cows have calves either.
36 to 48 inches of snow in the east cariboo area last year. I want to thin the predator sector. 1 less black bear in the country(it is now in my freezer).
 
Ol' Smokey said:
IIRC, with the "polar vortex", we had a freezer in the middle of Canada, and a normal to warmer winter on the coasts. It is indeed being predicted that something like last winter could happen again. No deer for me this year.
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I can foresee "polar vortex" being the word of this winter. I'm already getting tired of hearing it on the news.
 
bearkilr said:
I can foresee "polar vortex" being the word of this winter. I'm already getting tired of hearing it on the news.
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One of the guys i work with started complaining about it when it was used yesterday, so a few of us started using it non stop. haha. he might punch someone soon....
 
tigrr said:
I have seen wolf, coyote, grizzly and black bear tracks 40 times for every deer track. Seen one single doe in 4 weeks. None of the moose cows have calves either.
36 to 48 inches of snow in the east cariboo area last year. I want to thin the predator sector. 1 less black bear in the country(it is now in my freezer).
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Posts like this make me think it may not have been limited to the central Canada.
 
bearkilr said:
I can foresee "polar vortex" being the word of this winter. I'm already getting tired of hearing it on the news.
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Wait until we are 4 months into the dark! I have already started investing in a sizable single malt Scotch inventory. :cheers:
 
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I heard a nice weatherman on CJOB radio the other day, he said that this winter here in SE MB is going to much much milder than last winter!:d
 
If this past winter is repeated again this year, the only wild life left on my hunt property will be a few ravens and blue jays. If I feel charitable, I may even buy a few bales of hey and feed them this winter. How desperate is that? I figure I have taken much when times were better, I may as well give some back now. A few more doe and fawn next October can't be a bad thing.

So, what is the going price of a round bale around Whitney, Ont. now? :)
 
Home3 said:
If this past winter is repeated again this year, the only wild life left on my hunt property will be a few ravens and blue jays. If I feel charitable, I may even buy a few bales of hey and feed them this winter. How desperate is that? I figure I have taken much when times were better, I may as well give some back now. A few more doe and fawn next October can't be a bad thing.

So, what is the going price of a round bale around Whitney, Ont. now? :)
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Its very charitable, but you need to be sure you do it right. That means regular feeding, and feeding right up until the snow is gone. Also be prepared to feed immediatly after a late season snowstorm if new growth has not yet sprouted.

Deer will become completely dependent on feeding, and abruptly stopping feeding, especially in late winter, is very bad for them. Their fat stores are gone and if you stop before green sprouts, they will at least abort fawns, and at most, die. You're feeding may also make them stay in the area, when traditionally they would leave to yard up and better survive with a group.

If you can't commit to feeding until roughly April, on a regular basis, its better to not do it at all.
 
blasted_saber said:
Its very charitable, but you need to be sure you do it right. That means regular feeding, and feeding right up until the snow is gone. Also be prepared to feed immediatly after a late season snowstorm if new growth has not yet sprouted.

Deer will become completely dependent on feeding, and abruptly stopping feeding, especially in late winter, is very bad for them. Their fat stores are gone and if you stop before green sprouts, they will at least abort fawns, and at most, die. You're feeding may also make them stay in the area, when traditionally they would leave to yard up and better survive with a group.

If you can't commit to feeding until roughly April, on a regular basis, its better to not do it at all.
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I see! a lot more commitment than I first thought.

I don't mind to put some money into it. My SP101 can wait. But I need commitment from some two legged mules to haul it 2K,s into the woods in 10 feet of snow with me. More than once. No snowmobiles here.

Can't be hunters. They are lazy (no offence!:)). But I know a bunch of hikers whom I hike with regularly. They are a lot tougher than hunters and they claim to be nature lovers. Time to put them to the test!:) Hey, I may actually do it!

To those who have done it before, how is it done? How far apart (distances)? In the open or in the woods?...etc.
 
Living in Northern Alberta the numbers have dropped significantly due to hard winters and a surplus of wolves that have come into the area. Spent the weekend at what used to be some great area and saw 2 small young bucks and ~10 does where in year in the past those numbers would have been triple. I have had multiple trail cam pics of wolves which is very new for this area.
 
WMU 87D here (north of Hamilton, south of the 401).

Grouse numbers are waaaaay down…only spooked up two in 6 trips into the bush this year.

Deer also down; we had 3 guys sitting for a couple of days each during the first week of shotgun season and only saw a single doe and fawn. Many more spotted last year.
 
Home3 said:
I see! a lot more commitment than I first thought.

I don't mind to put some money into it. My SP101 can wait. But I need commitment from some two legged mules to haul it 2K,s into the woods in 10 feet of snow with me. More than once. No snowmobiles here.

Can't be hunters. They are lazy (no offence!:)). But I know a bunch of hikers whom I hike with regularly. They are a lot tougher than hunters and they claim to be nature lovers. Time to put them to the test!:) Hey, I may actually do it!

To those who have done it before, how is it done? How far apart (distances)? In the open or in the woods?...etc.
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One thing you can do, which doesn't require the high financial or time commitment as feeding, is packing trails. Get your hiking friends together, strap on snowshoes, and start walking. Focus on packing trails between feeding areas. Deer do not like to break trail. They have an instinctive fear of deep snow (becoming stuck and being caught by predators). There are actually documented examples of whitetails refusing to break trail, even a few feet for food, and starving to death instead. So pack trails! Start walking!

Another consideration, is that its completely possible deer dont even inhabit the area in question in the winter. In non-agricultural areas (central and northern Ontario) deer will usually yard together, in traditional areas they have been using for generations. My property, for instance, doesn't have a deer on it from December to April. They are completely gone.
 
I depart tomorrow to my hunting area in the Slave Lake region. It will be interesting to find out how the deer made out from last winter. I might have to really work hard to get a big buck on the ground/snow; if not, I'll probably have a great time/success anyway.
 
I have been hunting all week in western Quebec in 3 different areas and I have seen a total of 5 does. No buck sign to speak of and only a couple of grouse. These areas I have been hunting for close to 45 years and I have never seen the sighting this low. I missed a doe with black powder on Sunday and by the looks of it that might be my only chance this year. In all 3 areas you can usually hear gun shots around the area, but there have been a few days that I heard no gun shots at all. I know the area and the people around who hunt and they are seeing the same. I don't think it is over hunting as the area used to be able to support lots of hunting pressure and still have good populations. Probably hard winters and predators, but in 2 of the 3 areas no sign of coyote tracks etc.
 
On my way to wmu 68a/b as I type, wt seem to be decent where we are, my dad saw 8 on the side of the road the other day and there have been several sightings on their road of lots of does and small bucks walking through cottage properties. Saw lots all summer as well out on the side by side, now hopefully one will show up in the last couple days, but we all know the likely hood of that right lol you'll see them all year until it's time to take them then they'll disappear lol
 
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