Winter Sucks....and the deer don't like it either!

[KDM]

Well my prediction of more deer showing up in the yard has come true. With these last couple snows and the melts in between, the critters are having a tougher time of it and it's showing in the backyard herd. Here's a front and back yard pic from two days ago. It's fun to watch'em, but seeing them get thinner and thinner......not so much. Picked up another 45 bushels of corn and will probably need more before this crappy winter gives it up. Anyway, just thought I'd provide and update regardless if any of you wanted it or not. Grin!!

Here's the front yard....

And Here's the backyard...

 

[Wall-eyes]

Same here for me they have eaten all the food plots put in plus hay, can't quite now. Good thing I have alot of farming friends to buy cheap field crops. Might have to start planting corn, sunflowers plus my food plots maybe I can get goverment support.

 

[NodakBob]

thanks for feeding and letting them winter in your yard!

 

[johnr]

Typical liberal deer... eat, shit and run...haha
jk.
Nice job

 

[KDM]

thanks for feeding and letting them winter in your yard!

I don't know if I'd really have much of a choice as I'm right on the river anyway and it might not amount to a spit in the river, but I can't sit by and do nothing. It makes me feel good as well so damn it, I aint stoppin'. (Grin) I'm stubborn that way.

 

[db-2]

Have a number of plots that have been good to us and i feel for the deer. Getting expensive. Deer did leave a few of the nicer horns on the hay pile. Hope to find more once the snow is gone. No sense looking until then and then up to northern Canada.

At one plot besides our feed there is about 30 acres of unharvested corn nearby. Finally made it over to that standing corn. There are still cobs yet to be ate but did find a few deer carcasses.
Winter had no breaks in the cold and snow is deeper than normal.

Just wish it would break with some warm weather. Glad the coming snow did not make it up here for now. Had enough for now. db-2

 

[Rowdie]

Typical liberal deer... eat, shit and run...haha
jk.
Nice job

I've been feeding the neighbors dog. Man he's skinny. He's been showing up most days now but he doesn't stick around long after eating.

 

[ktm450]

Well my prediction of more deer showing up in the yard has come true. With these last couple snows and the melts in between, the critters are having a tougher time of it and it's showing in the backyard herd. Here's a front and back yard pic from two days ago. It's fun to watch'em, but seeing them get thinner and thinner......not so much. Picked up another 45 bushels of corn and will probably need more before this crappy winter gives it up. Anyway, just thought I'd provide and update regardless if any of you wanted it or not. Grin!!

Here's the front yard....

And Here's the backyard...

how many sheds have u found in the yard so far?

 

[1lessdog]

I have been watching the same herd of deer for the last 3 month. The one big buck that I found the sheds off of last spring still has his rack as of last Saturday. It is one heck of a rack. The herd is a mile away from where I found the sheds last yr. They have been in the same corn field for over a month. I have only seen one dead deer this winter and she was maybe 200 yds from the road.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Same here for me they have eaten all the food plots put in plus hay, can't quite now. Good thing I have alot of farming friends to buy cheap field crops. Might have to start planting corn, sunflowers plus my food plots maybe I can get goverment support.

https://kfgo.com/2020/03/03/game-and-fish-offers-wildlife-food-plot-seed-2/

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering free seed for the 2020 growing season to landowners who are interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.

Private land section leader Kevin Kading said rather than a traditional corn or sunflower food plot, Game and Fish is offering a seed mix that provides increased plant diversity, including flowering plants from spring through fall, which will attract insects, the major diet component of pheasant chicks. Additionally, he said the mix will provide needed cover during spring and summer, as well as a winter food source. Other wildlife species will also benefit from this mix.

“Most Game and Fish food plots are part of the department’s Private Land Open To Sportsmen program,” Kading said. “This food plot campaign does not require a PLOTS contract, but we are asking participating landowners to allow reasonable public access, which could mean simply providing access permission to hunters from time to time, putting up ‘Ask Before You Enter’ signs around the area, or not posting the surrounding land.”

Kading added that landowners participating in this promotion cannot charge a fee for hunting.

The department will provide enough seed to cover up to a maximum 5-acre planting at no cost to the landowner.

Landowners who are interested in receiving the food plot seed must sign up online by March 31. Seed will be available in April at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Harvey, Dickinson, Williston and Riverdale.

Game and Fish private land biologists can provide technical assistance on food plot location and site preparation.

Landowners who are interested in additional financial incentives may be considered for the PLOTS program as well. More information is available by contacting a private land biologist at any Game and Fish office in the state, or email ndgf@nd.gov.

 

[scrotcaster]

I have been watching the same herd of deer for the last 3 month. The one big buck that I found the sheds off of last spring still has his rack as of last Saturday. It is one heck of a rack. The herd is a mile away from where I found the sheds last yr. They have been in the same corn field for over a month. I have only seen one dead deer this winter and she was maybe 200 yds from the road.

holy ! ND Deer ? bigger this year ?

 

[1lessdog]

holy ! ND Deer ? bigger this year ?

I kicked him up opening day of Pheasant season last fall. I had him at about 10 yds so he was close. And yes he is one dreams are made of. My youngest son had a Doe tag last fall and we were setting on the end of a shelterbelt and corn field out in front of us. He walked out into the corn field and we had him at less than 100 yds for over 20 mins. This was the Sat of the last weekend of rifle season. Two pickup drove by when we were setting there and they never seen him.

 

[KDM]

No sheds yet, but maybe when the snow melts. I have mostly does, fawns, and young bucks so the biggest horns I've seen this year have been an average 4X4. Maybe a buck ten or so in score. My goal is to get the does to throw twins in the spring instead of singles or nothing and to get this years fawns through their first winter. Boy do I have some small fawns coming in. WOW!! They aren't plump, but there's LOTS of winter left. Time will tell. Stay safe and warm out there fellas.

 

[PrairieGhost]

KDM where do you buy your corn. I went to New Rockford and got a pickup load Friday. $7.50 a bushel. I bought some 18% protein pellets and I would like to find some small square alfalfa bales.

 

[db-2]

Maybe a little bit luckier but all winter corn was $6/bushel at local elevator bulk. Son bought all the alfalfa bales so not sure on price. db

 

[KDM]

I buy corn direct from a producer. Market price, but it's close by and I can get whatever quantity I need at pretty much a moments notice. Square bales around here are 5 bucks a bale give'er take, but I have so many deer that I'm on my second 1600 lb round bale. Which isn't a lot as my neighbor is going on 22 bales lost to the deer so far. He's got hundreds of deer on his hay piles. His big alfalfa bales are about 75 bucks a piece, so he's taking a bit of a wallet whack this winter.

 

[risingsun]

KDM where do you buy your corn. I went to New Rockford and got a pickup load Friday. $7.50 a bushel. I bought some 18% protein pellets and I would like to find some small square alfalfa bales.

Jeffrey corn? No wonder it is spendy. Lawyer fees and all.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Typical liberal deer... eat, shit and run...haha
jk.
Nice job

Their names wouldn’t be Camper and/or Watson by chance would they?

 

[LBrandt]

Locked in tight, not getting out anytime soon, checked on snow depth on township road and its more than I want to tackle, one drift is 2ft deep or better for at least 100 yards. Will see if dogs can play poker like the pictures you see. Might run out of bread, milk and eggs but the rest is good. LB

 

[Shockwave]

I am getting really tired of this winter and there does not appear to be any relief in the extended forecast. A guy was hoping for an early and nice spring when we were getting those 40 degree days.