The deer are getting pretty hungry.

[JimR]

We now have about 2 feet of snow on the ground with todays 6 inches. Yesterday I plowed all around my woodpile so I can get to it. I also plowed roads thru the woods and the field next door. Last night at 11:30 my black lab mix went wacko and wouldn't stop barking. After ten minutes and the wife flipping out. I decided to go see what was going on. The dog was standing at our deck sliding door barking out towards the woods. Ten feet from my woodpile stood a deer munching on the turned up ground from my plowing. The deer finally left and we went to bed. This morning it was snowing again and we had 2 inches already when I went over to feed the chickens. In the new snow there were new deer tracks that came right by the side door of the garage, right by the tractor, up the driveway, across my front lawn 20 feet from the house to where the deer stopped to eat the heck out of our Holly bushes. The deer's next stop was the spreading yews. I know the acorn crop was bad this year. When the poor deer has to settle for evergreens you know it is really rough. This is the first year since 1976 that I have seen bush damage in our yard. I think maybe I'll start putting out some grain for them to hold them over thru the winter. I hate to see them starve to death.

 

[DocHeb]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I think maybe I'll start putting out some grain for them to hold them over thru the winter. )</font> /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I'm sure they'll appreciate it - and call all their buddies to have a real party!

 

[JimR]

I'd be fattening them up for next hunting season. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[NSBound]

It's a good thing they're not hanging around these guys! This photo was taken last week on a trek to northern Manitoba.

 

[jwnge]

Nice pic, they don't seem to be very afraid...John

 

[fishman]

I have it on good authority that deer LOVE corn. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I don't know how many bags of corn I've fed this year but it was quite a few. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I would recommend pouring the grain out away from anything you don't want damaged or eaten. This year I made the mistake of planting a food plot around our small pear tree. A buck really tore the bark up.

 

[penokee]

Beautiful picture!! We have a few Lynx in this area, but mostly Bob Cats. The wolf population is larger then most locals like, I see them on occasion, but can't get a photo.

I usually carry a dozen or so deer thru the winter - some years you can count their ribs.

A couple of pics taken at my camp.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[penokee]

I have to agree with you 100% on the feeding location. Fed then too close to my small orchard and they did a numer on the small apple trees - they were starving at the time, so I wasn't upset about it. Feed farther back in the woods now. Attaching a picture of the typical damage they did.
penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JimR]

Your apple trees look like my Holly bushes.

 

[DocHeb]

I used just about the same amount of a similiar fence to protect my smaller apple trees. I see now that I'll have to really increase the size as they get older - the deer probably used the fence to prop themselves up to get at the higher branches - how nice of you to provide that for them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif