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are the deer making a come back

I hunted the sprucewoods area in 2011 I think unit 30 or 31 not sure anyway the deer numbers were down and I was wondering if they are on the upswing,,

Steve we got hammered with a hard winter this year. Lots of snow, cold temperatures and lots of coyotes around. Winter kill was tough on them this year. I'd have to say the numbers are gonna stay down for a couple years. Things were pretty grim all over Manitoba for deer this year.

No.

Doesn't look great but there are still deer to be had.

I'd say the archery zones are just about finished. I have been bow hunting for over 20 years and haven't seen it this bad. I run trail cams all year especially in the rm of Springfield. For some reason the deer where fine till around March then they disappeared. I have got some picks of a couple nice bucks in aug but there seems to be very low numbers. U can drive from birds hill park to Anola and not even see a deer. I've heard stories of what happened but don't know if they are true. Also the RM is planning on making most of 34a a residential area which would mean no more hunting, crazy. I hope it picks up or I'll be buying meat at Safeway. If the RM of Springfield goes with its plans Dugald to the rm of st Clements will all be developed even all around Birds hill park.....

If you heard that the CO's went in and killed deer in Birds Hill Park I heard that rumor as well. I went straight to the horses mouth (well not horse actually - good guy in conservation) but that is straight out wrong. No such thing took place.

Myself I actually have seen a surprising amount of deer. I didn't expect to see so many. I think one area I go in the interlake I think they get covered by the big bush so seem to have fared well, and a couple spots in archery only zones seem to be good. My one spot was better this year than any of the last 5-6 years. Might depend on surrounding food.

"I'd say the archery zones are just about finished. I have been bow hunting for over 20 years and haven't seen it this bad. I run trail cams all year especially in the rm of Springfield. For some reason the deer where fine till around March then they disappeared. I have got some picks of a couple nice bucks in aug but there seems to be very low numbers. U can drive from birds hill park to Anola and not even see a deer. I've heard stories of what happened but don't know if they are true. Also the RM is planning on making most of 34a a residential area which would mean no more hunting, crazy. I hope it picks up or I'll be buying meat at Safeway. If the RM of Springfield goes with its plans Dugald to the rm of st Clements will all be developed even all around Birds hill park...."

Keep shooting those does, gotta love antlerless harvest, I've hunted area 33 all for 25 years and watched the steady decline when they brought in antlerless harvest, several spots I hunted are void of deer now, last year I didn't even waste my time in area 33, kinda sad!

Harsh winters are also to blame, but IMO it should be illegal to shoot a doe in Manitoba!

The doe numbers in my area are ridiculous. I get more little buck pics then anything else. I agree at least go to one tag. I know lots of people who went to the horses mouth but wether it's a rumour or not they wouldn't tell you.

"The doe numbers in my area are ridiculous"

So your area is not birds hill or anola area? Because you mention above not seeing "any deer" while driving from birds hill to Anola?

Or do you mean ridiculously low?

I mean low, the lowest I've seen in many years

Yeah, need some mild winters with no snow to help the population, and hope nobody shoots those does, just imagine how many deer your taking out of a herd by shooting one young doe!

Ya doe tags need to go and a mild winter would sure help. There is more deer the further east u go but around the park is horrible. If mpi did get the deer herd thinned they over did it.

I used to hate to hear a bowhunter talk about shooting a big doe with his antlerless tag. Those big does, are the brains of the herd with the best survival instincts. Kill them and no one's left to teach the young deer where or how to survive a winter or evade predators

Good news is, from what I was seeing last season (almost nothing) this one tag system has already been better in my area of 33. I'm seeing lots of young bucks. Still not that many does but all the guys I hunt with are protecting the does as much as possible. Either way Id say the herd seems much healthier this fall than last. Even with the hard winter we had last year. East part of the province however I saw almost nothing all summer. And I went to the Lake almost every weekend. Couldn't buy a deer sighting out that way.

Well this winter should help things... Nothing like 3 1/2 weeks of -30 in good snow all before Christmas to boost the deer levels.

Yeah and more snow to come....that warm melting day didn't help the situation much either. Should help the coyote population though, not that they need any help.

This winter is gonna be another killer. Last fall was horrible for me. It should make it ez to focus on elk n bear with no deer to distract me.

This winter is gonna be another killer. Last fall was horrible for me. It should make it ez to focus on elk n bear with no deer to distract me.

Hoping spring comes soon, down here in southern Mb I think the deer have done okay.

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