Whitetail Wizard

It’s not always this way, and it could certainly change in a matter of days, if last weekend’s six-inch snowfall means anything. By now, most deer are stretched pretty lean and it doesn’t take much to tip them over the edge into starvation.

However, for as freaky as the weather has been this winter, it wasn’t all that bad. The same cannot be said for some deer herds in the Upper Peninsula where heavy snows doomed many animals to an early death.

When grub gets low, and deer are living off fat reserves and bone marrow, the chance of survival for many deer can be mighty slim. Deer need a bushel of browse daily, and when snow depths prevent any movement and deer are confined to deer yards with minimum food, the toll can be heavy.

The fawns and older bucks often die first. Does, even though pregnant, can usually survive. Bucks, especially adult animals, often succumb when they can’t replace the weight they lost during the rut. A rutting buck can lose 30 percent, or more, of their body fat and it is difficult to recover when the winds of winter blow cold and snowy.

The recent rain and warmer weather has cut snow depths in the Lower Peninsula. Whitetails appear to be moving easily, and I saw a couple of animals in my back yard last week. They were moving around, and after they walked off, I checked the snow depth at less than six inches.

It’s when the snow gets belly deep, and a crust of ice forms on the surface, when deer die. They cut their legs striving to move through the ice-covered snow, and become easy prey for free-roaming dogs and coyotes. Wolves can take a deadly toll on Upper Peninsula deer.

Are there wolves in the northern Lower Peninsula. Depends on who we talk to, but it’s thought that at least two or three wolves may be living south of the Mackinaw Bridge. One was trapped in Presque Isle County two or three years ago, and another animal was supposedly shot. Still others claim to have seen tracks in the snow or seen the animals running down Lake Michigan beaches.