UP Winter report???

[Shack]

Was in the UP over New Years and stopped to walk my property in the Western UP and was pretty surprised with the lack of snow (about 6 inches). Got a real good opportunity to do some scouting and I will be moving some stands around.
Anyways does anyone have any reports about current snow conditions and more importantly how they feel the deer are making out this winter in that area. Zone 027 can use all the help it can get to get the whitetail population within its goal range 18-22 per square mile.;)

[NorthJeff]

I had posted this in another spot last week...

One of the problems this year...and often the falicy of the WSI is the length of winter, and the length of the time the deer are out of their spring/summer/fall ranges. The deer have been working on negative energy reserves since mid to late Nov., meaning because the winter started early and hard, deer began migrating earlier than normal, and into low quality conifer cover. Depending on the start of winter, deer will continue to increase energy levels into Mid-Dec, but not when they leave their ranges. Fawn studies show that they do not hit peak weight until mid-Dec., so if they are forced from summer ranges early, they lose that amount of higher quality browse and forage, which is replaced by a tougher woody browse and conifer cover diet.

The good news...the warmer temps, lower winds, reduced windchills, and easier traveling makes for much less energy used. But sometimes it's not how hard the winter is..but how long it is because the deer are away from the much less depleted food sources of their summer ranges.

This has been incredibly mild though! I can think back of going 6-8 weeks below freezing at a time for daytime highs, and now during the past 6 weeks we have had more days above freezing than below, including the record highs at times. A couple hours ago it was 44 degrees! It's going to change this weenend...a little more seasonable temps, but still not much snow.

I'm still concerned about how long the deer have been on negative energy reserves with how hard and fast the winter set in, but this warm weather is doing it's best to erase the effects...only time will tell! Right now we have a very dense and crusty 8-10" base in the woods in the central U.P., at a time we should normally be on about a 30"+ base with highs around 20, lows in the low single digits, and all the snow should be powder. Really weird and normally I'd be worried about how hard and fast the winter came...but man it's been so much more mild than normal and if we don't get our snow in Dec and Jan, it's not like it makes up for it in May and June. This is only my 8th winter up here, but from what I've seen we get the bulk of our snow in Dec and Jan., and although we get the occasional big storm in Feb. and March...those later months don't account for much snow.

[yooperkenny]

....from what I've seen we get the bulk of our snow in Dec and Jan., and although we get the occasional big storm in Feb. and March...those later months don't account for much snow.

NJ - Now you've done it! What were you thinking? Better store away some extra gasoline, propane, water and groceries for the St Pattie's Day storm. :yikes:

[Nimrod1]

NJ - Now you've done it! What were you thinking? Better store away some extra gasoline, propane, water and groceries for the St Pattie's Day storm. :yikes:

Don't forget the rum & coke!;)

[NorthJeff]

You guys are right...we do get some doozies that time of year! Early April can be a terrible time as well. The deer are finally gone from around my house...they had lots of browse to eat on recent cuttings, but when it's time to go, they go.

[Ogre]

With the warm weather and rain, the snow has crusted over and it's like ice. I am two hundred pounds plus and have no problems walking on top of the snow. I have found that in very distressed conditions this "hard snow" makes it difficult for even deer to break through to feed. My major concern with these conditions is not so much the deer but with all of the rest of the animals. I know that turkey have a tough time with hard pack on the ground. In my opinion, if we have an average rest of the winter the deer will do fine. My concern is with the rest of the animals.

[Shack]

Thanks for the feedback and general information of UP winters and the deer migration. I'm a new land owner and just starting to figure that an "actual" movement of deer takes place in the UP.
Just have to hope as someone mentioned that the rest of the winter is normal and the deer should return fine. I will be no help to the deer when they return to my area, my foodplot came in terrible and may just start over. :dizzy: I even planted in the spring and fall. Need to figure out what I did wrong and correct it. My guess is my PH was to low because the little bit of growth I got clover & chicory the deer didn't touch in the fall.
If anyone has any information that I can get on land management please let me know. Would like to supplement the foodplots with good forest management, problem is I don't have a clue what should be done.

Once again thanks for the good information and if you have any ideas about Foodplot and forest management, please share!! I own 12 acres the border public land.

Thanks!

[Lew]

I don't know about the whole UP, but for Iron county the news is good. The deer still are not yarded up and are free ranging and getting at brouse. There have been almost no nights below 0. This is one of the mildest winter on record so far. We had heavy snow in November but since then it has been just the opposite. The forcast is for mild conditions at least through the end of January. Right now things look excellent. We should have good fawn recruitment this spring and some outstanding bucks this Fall. Looking forward to a great year. Lew

[dongiese]

Wow more food for Mr. Gray!!!!!!

[Shack]

NorthJeff thanks for sending me the private message. I first tried to send you a private message back, but was unable to. Then I tried to go to your website and all I get to is "go daddy".
So please send me another email with you phone number and I could call and we then can talk.

Sorry to all for reading this on a public thread.

Thanks!

[username]

Where could I find some information on deer migration from summer to winter yards? I find that really interesting. Like distances traveled and from what area they came from. I remember hearing something about a study being done, but I could be wrong. Any books, websites, articles?

[NorthJeff]

Username,

You could try John Ozoga's book called Whitetail Intrigue, or even some of his seasons of the whitetail book. There is very little information out there published on the topic. I live in an area towards the middle of the movement and it varys so much from year to year, and even deer to deer. Sometimes the deer come back if it gets warm and snow melts...but only some. Sometimes they all clear out and are gone in a matter of a couple weeks and go all the way to the yards 8-10 miles south. Some years the weather is varied enough that some go all the way, and then some stay in certain conifer cover areas along the way, and it seems like other you have to almost kick them out to get them to go.

Anyways, not a lot of info out there, but John O's books might have some insight if you can find them.

Shack, I sent you another PM...let me know if you don't get it.

[username]

Didn't UP Whitetales do some kind of study? Or some group? I looked on their website but it was no help.

[Trophy Specialist]

Where could I find some information on deer migration from summer to winter yards? I find that really interesting. Like distances traveled and from what area they came from. I remember hearing something about a study being done, but I could be wrong. Any books, websites, articles?
Contact the biologists at the DNR field offices in the U.P. and they will be able to help you on details of the studies they did on U.P. deer migrations. Clubs helped out the DNR with the tagging projects. I know the Straights Area Sportsman's Club did some tagging as I participated in that one. I also know of other studies that were done in the central and western U.P. It is very interesting to read how far some of the deer migrate. In some cases it's a long way.