Quote:
Originally Posted by Bushleague
My own take on winter kill, at least in my area... So long as we get harsh winters fairly regularly, the numbers dont seem to fluctuate too much. I'd say for about the last 7-8 years we've periodically had harsh winters, and the winter kills have not been too bad, with the poplulation kind of just hanging out on what I'd call the low side of average. Sure the truck hunters grumble, but there's still plenty of sign in the bush.
When one gets a good string of mild winters, and the population gets higher than average, thats when the potential of a bad winterkill becomes worrysome. I hear alot of guys pine over how good the deer numbers were in northern alberta 10-15 years ago, but that also eventually lead to some pretty severe winter kills and some very lean seasons.
This winter is not shaping up well for the deer, and with the very dry summer I doubt their brows situation is very good either. My own prediction is that numbers will be lower for the next few seasons, but I dont think the deer numbers got high enough for me to anticipate a severe winter kill. Just my own hunch.
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Your post is bang on
The closer the habitat is to max carrying capacity the bigger the crash during a harsh winter.
The quality of brows going into winter is also one many overlook and our past dry year is definitely going to help
It’s definitely not going to be an easy winter for deer but it’s all going to depend on how long winter hangs around. That final stretch when deer are well into their reserves is when they are most at risk. If we get an early spring it could really limit the loss
Either way populations will rise and fall at Mother Natures will. Personally I will wait and see what the impact is when it is over then adjust as needed