Winter Severity and White-tailed Deer

This winter is the 8th snowiest on record (so far) in west-central Wisconsin.   The snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures have certainly limited my outdoor activity - and kept my bird feeding station busy.   When I'm out driving my Prius - equipped with an electric seat warmer - I feel empathy for the deer along the roadside.

 

This winter, they've had to contend with deep crusty snow and bitter cold winds.   Sure, they had a great summer and fall to pack on the fat, but they're way more visible these days.  It looks like winter has taken a toll on them.

I spotted a bedraggled and thirsty yearling, alone on the side of Semple Road in Arkansaw.   I came across a half-dozen does and yearlings sitting in the snow, hidden among rows of stubby little evergreens in a roadside Christmas tree farm.  I've spotted herds of them digging through the snow in the cornfields by the tree lines in the coulees.

And the numbers of road-kill deer are mounting - more than a half dozen on State Road 25 near my house.  It's always disconcerting to see dead deer along the road.  But if you look - you might be surprised to see who joins the list of scavengers at the carcass - chickadees, eagles and woodpeckers.

Red-tailed Hawk at a roadside deer carcass

So, is our local deer population suffering from a severe winter this year?

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - no, not yet.

The Wisconsin Winter Severity Index ranks this winter as relatively mild - so far - for deer.  “What stands out this winter is that it started early," says Mike Zeckmeister, DNR northern region wildlife biologist.

That it did.  And we're in for more snow tomorrow.

Deer in the Snow

White-tailed deer sunbathing in the snow

It's not unusual to see white-tailed deer at dawn and dusk feeding along the tree line in west-central Wisconsin.  This winter however, I've been seeing deer throughout the day - along the tree lines, in farm fields, along the roads and leaping out in front of my car.

Today the fields were full of Wild Turkeys and the woods were full of deer.

The weather was unseasonably mild - temperatures in the 20s but the sun was shining.  No snow.  We took a spin on the rural roads in northwestern Buffalo County - looking for Golden Eagles.

We spotted several Bald Eagles, a Rough-legged Hawk and a number of Red-tailed Hawks - some soaring, but most of them in trees soaking up the sun.   Seeing them all puffed out, facing the sun, reminded me of lemurs in their "sunning posture" at the zoo.

I was thinking about the warmth of today's sun as I drove down Dorwin's Mill Road.  I was startled when a dog bolted across the road in front of my car.  I slammed on the brakes and did a double-take.

It wasn't a dog, it was a very small doe.  Watching this runt leap through the deep snow into the woods reminded me again - how tough this winter has been for wildlife.

As I put my foot back on the gas pedal, I wondered if we'd see more deer crossing the road on the way home.   I proceeded slowly.  Just a few minutes later, I stopped at the top of the hill and scanned the edge of the cornfield - looking for raptors. 

That's when I saw them:   4 does in a row - sitting in the snow, soaking up the rays. 

Sunbathing deer.