Winter Thoughts?
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
As we approach the month of March, what are your guys' thoughts about the severity of the winter for the deer herd? Better than previous couple years?
I'm ready for it to warm up so I can get out and shoot for longer periods of time...
Not nearly as bad as last year. Feb. has been cold but no major snow storms. They are saying up to 10" on Tuesday. Deer look healthy so far, hoping for an early spring!
The wsi for waupaca last year thru jan. Was 49 vs 12 this year. Last year feb was a 49 alone. We had standing corn till 30 days ago. 6 inches of snow now, trails have not been open all winter.Cakewalk this year.
Amoebus's Link
WI doesn't have Feb in yet, but it looks good so far. (Look at the WSI stats for this year and last.)
I checked the WSI for us thru January. Last year the total was 22. This year it is 8.
We've had some cold snaps (it's -4 degrees right now) but nowhere near as much snow. Never even got the snowshoes out this season.
Lots of deer and turkeys on the tail cams and in the ag fields. They're all looking good.
This year is a lot better than last local Newspaper reported 68 days last year below 0.
38 last year and 18 this year so far. Leas snow and what there is the deer and paw through easy. Sugary and not much moisture in it.
All my photo's have the deer looking in good to excellent shape so far
The last week has been so cold, I almost have an inzie! Very mild weather except for the cold spell. Herd will be in good shape. Turkey everywhere! I figure if they are handling it well, the deer will be in great shape.
Oh, Ozaukee County.
The cold will add a pile of points this month, likely pushing Florence East and Gile close to severe and Eagle River to moderate. As long as March doesn't bring a pile of snow, the majority should be in good shape. Long-term forecast here (Door-Kewaunee) guesstimates three more below-zero nights and four thaw days (mid to upper 30s) in the next 15, with a total of about five inches of light snow during the span.
People been complaining at work with how cold it's been and I keep reminding people to think back to last winter. This winter has seen very little snow and the temps really haven't been that bad. All of the major snow storms have missed us. The east cost has been absolutely slammed this year!
It seems like the temps and winds are bad whenever I hit the hard water! -5 as the high for one day last weekend in Oneida County. But overall, far less snow it seems and we don't have extenders on the augers like we did last year. I don't think ice out will push into May this spring.
Looking to be the 5th coldest February on record in the Southeast part of the state. As long as March doesn't follow suit, animals should be in good shape. A warm southwest wind for a week would be nice.
According to weatherman, The meteotology winter (Dec,Jan,Feb) will be the least amount of snow ever in Green Bay. Central part very seldom has a winter problem.Hopefully Northern will be OK
Just checked the WSI for Merrill, we were at 18 going in to February, we will be at 36 coming out of February. That is 18 days out of 28 that got into the negative temps, I live about 12 miles north of there and there were a minimum of 5 extra days that I can add at my house because Merrill hit a low of 1 to 4 above zero and I know that I was below zero. I don't know how cold it got at home last night, our digital thermometer stops at -22.4 and just reads out as OF.L so I know we were below -22.4 and Merrill's low was -13. There were only 2 days in February that had low temps in the double digits above zero, everything else was single digit lows or below zero. February has been cold, but the deer should be fine, not much snow and the daytime sun has a lot of heat now.
The deer in southern Door are looking healthy.
Incidentally - bucks still have their antlers.
The lack of snow has burned the winter wheat out and will affect syrup season.
Lack of snow? Maybe on Catalina Island but I have plenty of snow still and more on the way. Does the snow need to be a certain height for winter wheat and syrup? I didn't know that. Call it crop loss and get the insurance adjuster out with the check book. Maybe the food plot loss can be weaseled in too = tax right off cash.. ha!
The snowfall up here is below average. It is about half of what we usually get so far.
Might be a dry spring and some fire hazards though. MN is in abnormally dry with some areas in moderate drought and the same is on the outlook for SW WI.
Winter more normal in Oneida county. Deer herd should bounce back just like the old days, right?
Novemberforever's Link
Snowmobile trails in Waupaca have never opened. The deer and turkey are doing great tho.
Novemberforever's Link
We could use a dry spring after 2 years of very heavy flooding. Too much water hurts the nesting for turkeys and grouse. Plus, I hate having to re-do my food plots after they finally dry out in July.
Syrup? Why does winter affect that,I make it and it depends on Spring weather
Red, for some reason our farmer claimed no snow hurts the sap run in 3 weeks. I have no idea why.
They're predicting 50* on the 12th for Round here.
Supposed to be some snow coming to the state on Tues but it's supposed to warm up to 40 my the weekend. Can't wait! The deer around here (Jackson Co) look damn good for this time of the year.
Flooding is bad and after the last two winters a normal spring with average rains would be good. But a dry spring would be as bad as flooding since not much grows in a drought.
Sure looking good for the herd now. Hoping there were a couple does left in my Bayfield area to have fawns this spring!
I hope the apple/pear/cherry trees dont blossom early then we get freezing temps and no fruit again.
9 mile beach walk yesterday, 5 hours of tennis today in 96 degree heat.
Found what was left of a deer on my land today looking for sheds. Just some fur and bone fragments. All the deer looked to be in good shape all winter so not sure what got this one. Didn't locate any sheds either.
72 degrees in Walworth County today...
Ice is gone and the walleyes are running on the Wisconsin!
The red wing blackbirds returned last weekend and we just spotted the first bluebird. Waiting on the bobolinks and the meadowlarks.
As warm as it's been I was thinking of getting my peas in the garden at the end of this month.
Wonder if Morel Mushrooms will be out early.
Walked my land but couldn't find any sheds. Did find one dead deer. Looks like a fawn. The deer look much healthier than last spring.
I can imagine that deer did look healthier last fall, It looks terrible now.
November, 96 degs? you can keep that, don't want it.
Still plenty of frost coming up through the ground in Juneau county. None of the trees looked close to budding out. As long as we continue to get cold nights, fruit trees should be ok and not blossom too soon.