Deer and heavy crusted snow.

[John Y Cannuck]

Rough time to be a deer right now. The crust is not heavy enough to support a big deer, yet easily supports your dog, coyotes and wolves.
Tell the lady next door to keep fido locked up until spring we'll have more bucks to shoot this fall.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

Good call.

 

[Skippy]

Lol, I don't think it's your elderly neighbours "fido" that's the problem.

Better advise would be to tell the old lady next door to get into coyote hunting...

 

[bronco_mudder]

Yes domestic dogs can and will take down deer. I've seen the aftermath on a couple of occasions. Some people let their dogs run loose, and this isn't a good time of year for that...not that any time is good for it I guess.

 

[Eagleye]

I have seen (domestic) canines form a group on top of crusted snow many times and then chase wildlife that was punching through the crust. I have even been involved in "discouraging" some of these groups. They will not only run deer, but also moose and caribou. In one case that involved a yearling moose, the crust was actually cutting through the skin on his forelegs, leaving small bloodstains on the crusted snow. Without intervention, I'm sure the 6 dogs involved would have pulled this animal down. Regards, Eagleye

 

[kkahmann]

Alot of times the dogs don't even have to catch the deer--They lose so much energy they die anyway in a month or 2.

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

Anything forming a pack has to be delt with rightway

 

[Northman999]

Yes, even run of the mill canines can be deadly to game that is "lucky" enough to survive the initial chase. Pet owners need to be reponsible.

 

[fogducker]

and this over abundance of snow is of no help..

 

[MiG25]

there's still snow where you are at?

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

This winter has been terrible at least in ontario we have high populations of Coyotes and deep snow. The deer are in trouble and this is the first time I have ever seen a genuine coyoter deer kill.

 

[snowhunter]

Hiking on a snowcovered lake, I came upon several deer gut pile contens. Clearly the coyotes had chased the deer out to the frozen lake, and the killed and eaten the deer, which was then unable to stand on it legs.

Very clever animals those coyotes

 

[hakx]

The only cure for a pack of dogs is a box of shells

 

[Llywelyn]

only in some places

The last ice storm fixed this problem for us in New Brunswick. We have at least a 4 inch crust, especially in fields. I saw lots of deer today on the side of the highway and they were zipping all over on top of the snow, don't sink a bit. Hopefully they will survive a bit better because of that. Should help them get up higher for foraging anything off of trees. Down side is, it makes it really hard to dig down for anything under the snow.

makes it nice for us humans to get out into the woods too. I went for a walk yesterday evening back into the woods on top of a good 4-5 feet of snow.

Llywelyn

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Lets hope tonights rain softens things up enough that even the yotes are slowed down, and the deer can move.

 

[Skippy]

I never realized domestic dogs were such a problem. I guess it makes sense.

CO's should be out there putting and end to that horse#### whenever they see it.