Observations during this last thaw and freeze cycle

[John Y Cannuck]

Deer on this property pretty much vanished from the trail cams when the thaw hit. For some reason, they immediately switched to trails they had not used since last summer.
A few things were going on that may have caused this. The melt meant that ice would no longer hold them up, water had reappeared here and there, and food sources that were buried now reappeared. Hell, my grass was getting green!
at no point did they stop hitting the Oaks, they've been pawing those up for months looking for acorns. at some point during the weather change, the beech trees dropped their loads pretty much, but the acorns are so plentiful the deer are not into them much.
When the weather switched back, the deer went back to their cold weather trails. wolves and all.
I was out for a walk through the oaks, and i could hear the deer pawing just over the top of the hill, so I Crept up slowly.

this doe came over the ridge, I had hoped to get a pic of multiple deer, but she blew my cover. I got to see her, and a bunch of flags.

 

[fratri]

Nice, a great time to be in the bush observing...

 

[Receipt]

Had a group of eight walk by me from under five feet this past saturday. I was leaned up against base of a tree. Over the course of twenty thirty minutes they went by me, each one stopping right infront of me to take a gander. One even walked closer and took a smell of my snowsuit from point blank. They then continued past me maybe fifty feet and were eating all sorts of greenery until Id decided the cold was too much and slowly stood up.

Was hard to believe as I was wearing my surely smelly black Klim snowmobile suit. Black balaclava. Russian hat and a FDE BCL102 in my lap and plenty of breath steam emitting while locking eyes with them.
THIS is the reason I keep going out all the time even though many days are full of zip zilch NADA. (Basically since deer season end here I've not seen much for sign on couple hundred acres I cover)

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Had a group of eight walk by me from under five feet this past saturday. I was leaned up against base of a tree. Over the course of twenty thirty minutes they went by me, each one stopping right infront of me to take a gander. One even walked closer and took a smell of my snowsuit from point blank. They then continued past me maybe fifty feet and were eating all sorts of greenery until Id decided the cold was too much and slowly stood up.

Was hard to believe as I was wearing my surely smelly black Klim snowmobile suit. Black balaclava. Russian hat and a FDE BCL102 in my lap and plenty of breath steam emitting while locking eyes with them.
THIS is the reason I keep going out all the time even though many days are full of zip zilch NADA. (Basically since deer season end here I've not seen much for sign on couple hundred acres I cover)

I had a similar experience on my very first bow hunt. In dark blue insulated coveralls (I had no camo at the time).
Deer are one thing for certain, and that is absolutely unpredictable.

 

[Superbrad]

Deer are like anything else..... they need a varied complex ornate vitamins, minerals and proteins in their diet...

When Mother Nature dumps snow on top of 75% of what they eat regularly, they resort to eating what they can to keep them alive until more is available... when you get a sudden thaw and stuff they are lacking suddenly becomes available, that’s what they gravitate to....

 

[John Y Cannuck]

in the shield regions of Ontario, and a few other provinces, deer can find water at the bottom of pretty much any valley they choose all summer long. As such, we as hunters rarely consider water as a place to set up to hunt, unless it's a crossing point.
Other places, such as the southern US, a water hole is a prime spot to hunt.
Now you might think deer eat snow, and yes, they do, but given the opportunity to get fresh water, they, at least here, prefer it. I have a spring at the back of this property, and when the rest of the water sources freeze, it doesn't, even at -30.
In summer, rarely visited, but at freeze up, the trail becomes an active one.
All part of their seasonal changes.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

In my experience, Ontario deer are a lot shyer than ours, more hunting pressure ? We just about have to beat them off with a stick. Sure surprised my Ontario BIL.

Grizz

 

[park.city]

In my experience, Ontario deer are a lot shyer than ours, more hunting pressure ? We just about have to beat them off with a stick. Sure surprised my Ontario BIL.

Grizz

have no experience with deer outside southern-ish ontario so they seem normal to me but i would venture to guess that our grouse are some of the wariest critters out there (not-normal). in my area, hunting alone, if i flush 15 grouse, i'd be happy if 5 were under 50 yards and of those 5, 2 presented a reasonable shot (and i'll usually miss those shots).

i patterned some late season deer near wild apple trees a few days before christmas with the intent of hunting between christmas and new years. My area received at least 50cm of snow in a few days and the deer vanished, and will not likely be seen again until next spring. i'm hoping this thaw helped them out in the area because it was not a good couple weeks for them.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

have no experience with deer outside southern-ish ontario so they seem normal to me but i would venture to guess that our grouse are some of the wariest critters out there (not-normal). in my area, hunting alone, if i flush 15 grouse, i'd be happy if 5 were under 50 yards and of those 5, 2 presented a reasonable shot (and i'll usually miss those shots).

i patterned some late season deer near wild apple trees a few days before christmas with the intent of hunting between christmas and new years. My area received at least 50cm of snow in a few days and the deer vanished, and will not likely be seen again until next spring. i'm hoping this thaw helped them out in the area because it was not a good couple weeks for them.

If they are anything like the deer in the bush, they have likely yarded. that is they have moved to an area where there is plentiful food, and they as a group keep the snow packed down on their trails.
I shook down some frozen apples yesterday on one of my trials. Gone the next morning. My deer have not left yet, they are still finding food.