Whitetails and WINTER Weather Survival Strategies
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- Whitetail have an amazing ability to survive the most severe Winters that mother nature can throw their way. How do they survive? Some don't. However, even those whitetail are mostly young and weak. Adult deer have proven to survive far past our level of comprehension. For many reasons, creating winter habitat on your land is a far better strategy for helping whitetails survive, than supplemental feeding. Feeding deer during the Winter can prove horribly wrong, unless those deer herd have proven unable to survive, unless supplementally fed. When feeding deer, be very careful using corn, which can actually kill deer that have not already been feeding on corn. Creating Winter cover on your land is by far the best strategy to help Whitetail survive, because Winter habitat not only provides thermal and snow hinderence cover, but winter browse.
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More than ready for Spring. It's impressive how much stress a whitetail can handle throughout the year!
I think the deer...and I know myself, can't wait for spring either. Amazing creatures with such a huge will to survive. And they do!
This video shows just how much passion you have for deer. Thank you so much for what you do. You’re a good man thank you
Thanks a lot Drake, I really appreciate that. And yes I do...an extreme passion for both deer and whitetail hunters! Comments like yours mean a lot to me
Thanks so much for this information: Keep up the good work Mr.
Love your advice and videos
Cool video. Exactly what I was looking for. Thankyou
That's great to hear!
I remember this video from years ago. I had to come check in on it again with this weather we are getting. It’s 2:20am and I woke up worried about the deer… don’t tell my wife.
Thank you for a great informative video.
Loves this video, so informative 👏
Just saw a group of like 8 maybe in the top yard all grazing in the snow with snow laying on their backs lol had to get a refresher.
Thank you for the info 🙏😊
Thanks for info
I'm always thinking about those deer surviving on those sub zero days and nights. Ready for October.
Perfect subject for this time of year Jeff! I'll be showing this to quite a few people that I've been trying to convince for YEARS that it's not helping the deer like they think it is. I hunt several 'urban' areas locally that are zoned as 'archery only'. I've seen, first hand, how quickly impacted these deer in these areas are by being artificially propped up by well intended residents.
I'll see deer with horribly mottled coats, bare patches on their sides, ribs showing, occasionally even otherwise healthy looking animals dead in the thickets behind some of the residences (and no, they weren't collision animals). It's really unfortunate that it even occurs! These areas have more than sufficient natural browse and yet the feeders are put out in people's yards.....often way too close to road crossings and truck turnarounds.
The deer group up so badly in some of these areas that I've had more than a couple hunts where I've arrowed my pick of coyotes! It is SOOO infuriating sitting in a stand watching some of this stuff occur. Keep up the great work! You're not only a great teacher but a great resource for those of us that know when something isn't right but don't quite know how to articulate it. 👍
Thanks a LOT for the feedback...great experience! Well meaning people just don't realize the damage they do. Heck, I've seen blood on folks porches or driveways from attacked deer trying to escape predators, within site of the winter bait pile. Great feedback and I hope it helps folks understand the damage that can be done.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I don't doubt that 1 bit! In those same archery zones I hunt, I've seen does from 1 area suddenly show up on cameras quite a ways away just to feed on a new corn pile that someone put out. May not seem like news to the homeowners but I could identify at least 3 in the bunch that had to have traveled across at least 5 roads to get there......not exactly helping the deer when they're suddenly exposed to traffic they wouldn't otherwise have to deal with 😔😒
good info jeff.if I feed I add a supplement to the corn from either antler king or record rack that works with the rumen in their digestive system to be able to process it without making them sick.so far it's worked for past few years
Very cool Steve...good to hear! So harsh this year. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Great informative video. What about hard packed snow with slick ice from freezing rain on top ? It’s so bad here that I can’t even walk on it .
Please people keep these lovely creatures safe and stop hunting them. Do not harm them😊💗 do the right thing
I don't know why the hell I had a random thought about where deer sleep when it snows.... But here I am lol
Interesting thanks bud
You are very welcome...hope it makes a lot of sense!
Hey Jeff, thanks for all the info you share. Can you shine some light on zombie deer disease?
Its due to males fighting, causing brain damage
Very informative Jeff! I've had a bucket of corn out in the backyard for a few weeks and had a bunch of videos on my trail cam of them eating it. They're out there almost every night but they've only eaten maybe 2 lbs of the 6 pound bag. They also browse on shrubs in my backyard nearby so I don't expect that's the only reason they're around. I thought this was helping them through the winter and didn't know this was harming them. Since they're just nibbling and not using it as a primary food source is it okay to leave it out? It's been 3+ weeks and they haven't really taken to it. Keep the videos coming! I look forward to them every day 👍 Thanks Jeff - I appreciate it!
Good, now build a fence and trap them in it, start a zoo.
No don’t leave corn out for them. If one gets extra hungry and eats a bunch of corn the corn will ferment to quickly in their stomach and they will die. If you want to leave something out look for “purina deer block” and the higher the protein the better in the winter
Hi Jeff.
Fellow Michigander here. For a winter time food source, what's your opinion on feeding deer horse hay/deer hay/Alfalfa hay?
Thanks for any feedback.
What tree buds do deer prefer. I’m thinking of cutting some trees down next week since we are suppose to get 6-12 inches of snow this weekend.
Logging and farming is the key to a better deer population. Need way more logging.
"The little cold spell."Im in Michigan.Most migrate away from snow belts"U P-upper lower.I believe the wolves do more damage.They moved early this fall around Gladwin-Harrison area.I hunt southern Mi.stateland.(maple river)its a good place to be.
After watching the video I have to ask a question.
Did you used to go to the Michigan Sportsmen's forum as NorthWoods Jeff?
i know
In Michigan wondering the same thing
They will be fine...they are so dang hardy!
Good thoughts and comments. We still are seeing lots of deer out feeding in between the snow storms. Sent you a photo this am.
Bob
Thanks a lot Bob! I'm sure Diane got the photo...on the way to the airport for a client in KY....fly into Nashville. Diane is my taxi this morning 🙂 heading to no snow. I think
It's amazing how many hunters are unaware of the risk of feeding corn to deer.
Great point, It really is! They can actually die within days from gorging on corn during mid Winter blizzards... if it isn't already a part of their diet.
Would deer use cedar swamps or conifer swamps to use as winterization and is that the only time of year they steadily use them. And in the fall they are elsewhere?
Man that is a great observation! Most yarding/wintering areas are pretty useless for deer habitat the rest of the year. Winter sign in these areas can be incredibly deceiving...
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 so would it be okay if I was hunting near one of those areas and use it to my advantage for an area to put my scent in the fall
@@maxedgar1374 it sure is! Of course the weather changes can slammed the deer into those areas, but really for typically brief periods of time until the Winter really sets in. Consider that there is very little food in these areas...deer are really only inhabiting these areas if it is there only cover during periods of high pressure hunting, extreme weather severity events, or for harsh prolonged winter conditions.
What about hay ?
The deer here lay up like hogs in the corn fields and eat all year. Got a woods with a nice crop of acorns every year and where are they? In the corn. Lush green food plots? Nope, in the corn.
Yes if they are eating it all year then there is no problem. The issues are when someone puts out a 20lb bag in January to “help” feed the deer. Their digestion can not handle the quick change from twigs to corn.
so ya
Completely unrelated question... Observations have shown that many animals and aquatic creatures feed in correlation with the atmospheric pressure. Of course I know you don't believe that land beasts can sense the pressure changes, but if fish can, underwater and under ice, wouldn't it be plausible that land roaming beasts might have a built in pressure gauge, also? I'm not sure how, but I'm convinced it is so. Time to do some cellular studies!
Scott I believe it is all conditional...even fish. Do they relate to the pressure...or storms, tem change, wind change, extreme weather change, etc. Those conditions create boom and bust feeding patterns for all animals. The BP sometimes reflects that...sometimes it does not. I believe animals relate to tangeable condition changes. We do too! If you purely follow the bo you will be missed a lot...unless those weather conditions are in play. Unfortunately a lot of deer hunters we're pushed to hunt bo changes last year during deer season during very poor hunting days. When you get the weather conditions to happen first, the bo will reflect s good day...but without those tangeable weather conditions to take place first, I just don't personally believe there is a factor of prediction. Which is why the bp should be a non factor when it comes to deer prediction movements. I don't believe the weather conditions steer a person wrong...
Still tough one though Scott 🙂 If bp had to be a factor, I would rank it lower than the moon phase. Maybe 2-5%?
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751WOW! Lower than moon phase??? 🤯😬🤪🤯 You're tough as as 10 year old buck jerky! 😅 It's always good to conside charts that have been well laid out and compare information. I can see your point regarding the BP being coupled with the weather and that it's coincidental that the BP is moving, yet, The fish underneath the ice are shielded from the weather conditions, and they go on a feeding frenzy when the BP changes. I'll be known to you as that BP thorn until one of us is convinced of the other's opinion.
I hope I'm not a nuisance... another consideration... we, who have injuries where scar tissue has built up in tight quarters, feel the effects of the BP changes. I have a knee that tells me when to hunt and when to fish. ;)
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 what if the moon phase effects the BP? What then? lol
@@ScottWConvid19 ha, lol. I think they cancel each other out? 😎
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751Not to be misterunderstood, I do believe that the weather conditions play a huge role in deer feeding patterns too. I'm just convinced that many researchers have successfully mapped their movement with the barometer also. But in the end, I have seen the Lord's hand bring deer in when all observational signs showed that they wouldn't be moving, so there's another factor too! Thanks for putting up with me and taking the time to read and reply. And thank you for all your excellent videos!
is it even worth the effort of bowhunting muture bucks in the mega forests zero agriculture areas like where i hunt in northern MN? very little topo changes, covered with forest and only a few hay feilds here and there lol. Weve got 400 acres of private land but no reason for deer to be there or anywhere tbh.
It sure is worth it! I may try that area this year. Not as much snow as a lot of northern areas...but COLD. Sever COLD! Big mega bucks live that remote cover with almost zero hunting pressure. Lots of food for the deer....just a lot of predation, rugged, wild. No high quality food...but a lot of food for deer in terms of browse. Not much competition for food anyways. A lot like where I hunt in the UP of MI, just older bucks in your area. I really like that area Brandon and good question!
Deer love peanut butter and red apples and other types of fruit and nuts, hey and corn are very bad for them.
what's a deer yard?
In severe Winter areas deer head to traditional deer yards...typically stands if cedar established after clear cutting and fires that swept the timber off of the map in the late 1800s, early 1900s. Deer had so much food they did not need to migrate and the cedar yarding areas were established. In the 80s the deer numbers became so high the c dar yards were browsed out, except for the tallest of deer. Now, the cedar yards represent very little food...but act as green barns of both thermal and snow hinderence cover. They are common across the northern regions of upper MN, WI, the UP of MI and Northern lower MI, upstate New York, Maine, etc. In areas of high winter severity, the herd couldn't survive without the deer yards...
I hope that makes sense!
Whitetail Habitat Solutions maybe you could do a vid showing and explaining deer yards to us southern folks lol
@@monsterhog1118 I may have to do that some day ..need to get to one in the next month or so anyways...would be some great footage! I will certainly try...
Off topic here. Jeff i've been hearing more an more about Chronic wasting disease lately you think maybe people should lay off the man made deer watering holes alittle unless it's absolutely necessary.
Yogi I don't think there is any risk at all, compared to the daily activities that deer partake in...feeding, minerals, scrapes, close quarters bedding areas, travel corridors, shared browsing, etc. I am also not a CWD extremist. As someone who regularly works in CWD areas, has hunted next to it for 17 seasons...I personally believe...right or wrong...that CWD os the most overblown deer disease there is. I personally know high level deer biologists that feel this same way. I say let nature takes it's course. I would not hesitate to buy land smack dab in the middle of CWD hotzones...on fact I will probably buy 1 in one state this year...maybe a 2nd in another. So far...now that could change...but in SW WI where it was discovered first back in 2002, it has been a non factor in it's positive or negative contribution to great herds and hunt. I have personally seen...on many CWD lands...the potential of deer and deer hunting change in anyways whatsoever. And that would include waterholes, mock scrapes, common browsing areas, travel corridors, confined bedding areas, natural mineral sites, micro staging area high deer frequency use, small natural or unnatural food sources, soft mass tree locations...single or not, etc. I do not agree that we can stop it...it's been with us for decades...we can't remove it from the soil...it doesn't hurt people, and rampant culling of deer to "stop" the spread is a sad waste of resources. At least for anything I have seen or heard or discussed with folks a lot smarter than me that I personally trust.
I know off topic and long winded, but near and dear to my heart 🙂
Whitetail Habitat Solutions OK Jeff i've been putting out mineral blocks for 20 years good or bad right or wrong the deer like them was. considering pulling them but I guess I'll leave them for now
@@yogibear6271 I just think that CWD is so mysterious and encompassing of any habitat it feels to invade. I believe a lot unknown. That government agencies shoot deer to try and drastically reduce population numbers to keep CWD from spreading, seems like a monumental waste to me, if nothing else purely because of the complete lack of effectiveness for containing the disease.
I often wonder if all the hype is coming from anti-hunters trying to discourage as many hunters as they possibly can.
@@garyhughes4884 Unfortunately some entities such as park systems receive money from the state to "cull" the deer but the end result is the deer are fleeing their supposedly protected areas into the cities because they have no where else to go.
Why cut down trees with not much to eat on them ?
New growth is the key
What about non GMO corn? I have a strong suspicion that GMO grain isn't good for people or animals
The problem he's talking about isn't from GMOs. We have to be careful starting cattle on a high grain diet too. Back when we fed our catttle that way we would start with a little and work them up slowly over about two weeks.
I did have someone tell me that the GMO crops weaken the animals immune system. They are messing with soybeans and hay now too, it's not just corn/grain. He was attributing the spread of CWD to the GMO crops making the deer more susceptible to disease. Makes you wonder.
In our farm magazines they tell us about all the studies that prove how safe GMOs are though. Wonder where the funding for those studies came from...
@@870wingmstr There's certainly a lot of revenue to be lost in non biased information. I just wonder if any of these observations regarding deer and grain have ever been conducted with non gmo verses gmo. I read a Monsanto approved article admitting that our bodies do not properly digest GMOs. The reasoning wasn't because they are bad, but that we need to advance in our evilution, because GMOs are about 50 years ahead of what our bodies can adapt to. Of course the same investors in Monsanto have major stakes in pharmaceutical medicine too and there are men that make hundreds of billions of dollars keeping people sick and killing them.
@@870wingmstr the GMO factor wouldn't come into play for deer during winter survival mode. I actually firmly do not believe it hurts deer in any way outside of Winter survival and time will tell for humans. Even with humans studies have shown it would take thouands of pounds of corn digested for decades. I believe deer die of lead much more quickly than that 🙂 Corn is just bad to digest for anyone and for me personally I will take GMO pure delicious corn over non GMO garbage any day. Just my opinion tho...and out of respect for the local farmers in my community too that are GMO dependent. Another topic all together tho...
Really interesting to know, I think it is irresposible to kill deer when we know how they have to battle for survival
Shit this video took forever to actually explain what the deer are doing to stay alive