So does anyone else think the game and fish needs to start a feeding program where they get together with local wildlife clubs and talk to some farmers and ranchers and see if they would move some snow out to the fields where they are herding up and the game and fish and wildlife clubs could buy feed and maybe some haybales to help the deer make it through. Or am I off my rocker for thinking like this? After this last storm deer and pheasants are going to have a tough time making the winter especially when it's this bad this early.
Helping the deer herd
- Thread starter tman
- Start date
I like the idea but don't want to see our deer herds become dependent on a human hand out each winter. It's never a good thing when we are discussing this before the new year. Deer are already eating to much corn and tipping over at the local corn pile in town. I helped a couple friends last night that shot a double with there bows. Neither deer had any fat on them. They were both fawns so that might have something to do with that also.
I hear ya kickemep I don't want this to be an every winter thing either but in winters like these it only makes sense to me, and yes couldn't only put corn out, whole kernel corn does them no good nutrion wise anyways, but put a variety of different feed out for them and hopefully some ranchers would be will to part ways with some Alfalfa bales and prairie hay bales to put out with the feed. And as long as it was done for the rest of the winter I don't see how it could hurt. But then again I have no biology degree just my thoughts, maybe feeding them would do more harm than good? Someone smarter than me can chime in on that
The easiest way would be to ask producers to leave some food plots during harvest and then compensate them in some fashion. The other option would be to form a list of producers who would be willing to put out piles of feed during the winter if we have one like we're having now.
Working with producers would be the only feasible option IMO. I know several who already put out food piles on their own.
Working with producers would be the only feasible option IMO. I know several who already put out food piles on their own.
Good topic as I have deer in my back yard right now eating corn out of a bucket. I add alfalfa hay, oats, and sunflowers to the mix, but that's just a band aid and not a solution. I kind of go by the following idea: Give a deer a bucket of corn and they will eat for a day. Plant a bucket of habitat and they will eat forever. The best thing is to create good winter habitat. Tough to do, but hands down, the best thing to keeping a healthy deer herd as well as healthy game populations of all kinds. I know for a fact that the deer in my back yard aren't eating nothing but corn. They come in, grab a mouthful or two and then they wander off. They might come back a couple times a night, but the corn is just extra. I try to plant some kind of habitat each spring. Next year its going to be willows, pines, and dogwoods. Thermal cover with some browse plants. Wish I'd have done more of that about 5 years ago.
Wouldn't a viable option be to pay a premium price on any coyotes shot and turned in at specific locations through out the state the next say 2 months help? Sort of like a 2 month bounty. Just a thought.
that would be awesome cause coyotes arent worth shit right now.... thanks a lot obama!
You'd be pissing in the wind. There is enough snow cover now that planes would be the most effective method. Get a bunch of guys to chip in, get the permit and rent a pilot. Anybody can get a permit, but the rules on staying far enough from residences makes it kinda tricky.
Or bring back CRP and star replanting all the shelter belts that were ripped out...
:;:deadhorse
:;:deadhorse
Feeding deer? Are you a democrat? 
If you want producers to help, they should be replanting the trees they have bulldozed the last 5 years, not burned every slough bottom in October and maybe even kept a few acres in CRP.
If you want producers to help, they should be replanting the trees they have bulldozed the last 5 years, not burned every slough bottom in October and maybe even kept a few acres in CRP.
I have about 8 acres of prairie grass. Thought it would be decent shelter and possibly browse on. After the first snow fall and wind, it is laying down. No cover and not even sure if deer can get too it under the ice shit we got. Planning on till most of it up and planting a larger food plot. Have planted 150ish evergreens on the edge, but the bucks have decided 3-4 ft ones are great rubbing sticks...... Have been looking for something that can be broadcast and gets 6-8 ft tall, but haven't found it yet.
I know a certain shelter belt with nothing but stunted spruce that, at this time of year, will have about one deer per tree when the cold and weather gets rough. They love those things.
Producers have the equipment and quantity that would bring the total cost to plant (and leave standing) down. So that is the right direction, but I would take it a step further and specific locations need to be targeted. Deer herd up where there's cover and habitat. Deer might travel for miles just to get to that wintering ground. What good would a bean field be that 3-5 miles from any of these wintering herds locations?
What about the farmer/rancher that always goes a step above the rest and has the winter thermal cover, plants the food plots, plants the browse, and basically manages his land for deer. Most of the time hunters swear about these set ups because they posts the land and wont allow any outside access. So you are stuck watching all the deer in the township frolic and browse out in the open with no care in the world. Would people be ok with giving these set ups money from public funds? Curious as to where most stand on this.
Coyotes, fox, skunks and raccoons are all edge predators. Single row tree plantings are like a buffet line. Providing some incentive to plant habitat/tree blocks would be the best form of winter cover.
Exactly. Some people can't see the forest for the trees.
The problem with a bounty and this much snow? Snowmobiles, sure they will kill a pile of coyotes with them, but they are also harassing all of the critters you are trying to protect.
The Game and Fish use to feed deer in the past. From what I understand, studies show that it had no effect on the deer population and that deer do better not becoming reliant on feed. Good shelter is what they need.
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