If you love the valley’s deer, please don’t feed them

[bigmacc]

A grower of mine in the Methow has 200-300 deer in her orchard every day. She said that they still have around 3 feet of snow and because so much of it has compacted, the deer are able to reach pretty far up the trees are a wreaking havoc. Been working with WDFW but she said its not the smoothest or easiest thing to do

Back in the day I remember the Game Department subsidizing some of the orchard owners to cut holes in the fencing to let deer in to munch on the trees. I remember one down off the Burma that had hundreds of deer in it. They sent us down there to drop pellets, it was quite a sight🤣 the deer knew exactly why we were there, they surrounded my truck to the point we couldn’t get either door open, I had to climb through a window into the back of the truck. I can’t remember the exact year, sometime in the 80,s. There was about 3 feet of snow in that area and most of the deer had evacuated from all parts north of Twisp.

[boneaddict]

85 86, somewhere in there.

[timberfaller]

Talking about local deer, I know a individual who has a small herd showing up at his place for breakfast and dinner.  Feeds them a mixture of feed of COB and rabbit pellets.  As long as they keep showing up, he'll keep feeding them.

But then he does his part at keeping the bear population down too!  Usually bags a nice one every year with a bow.  He is also not a follower of Fitkin!

I can recall the days when it was open season on the deer when they attacked the local orchards.   The 68 freeze did most of the orchards in then, so its was no longer a huge problem after that.  Last count I think there is only two left between Twisp and Mazama.

[bigmacc]

85 86, somewhere in there.

👍 Yep, you’re right bone I think it may have been 86. I had purchased a new Ford a couple years prior(it was an 84), I remember being so pissed because when we pulled into the orchard and were surrounded, the deer were trying to get into the back of the truck to get to the pellets🤣😆. They scratched the crap out of my truck with their hooves and antlers. Mountjoy got quiet a chuckle out of it when we told him🤣🤣

[mountainman]

I remember back in my youth in the 70’s sitting halfway up in the haystacks at the Big Valley ranch at dusk, watching literally 100’s of deer single filing out of the hills to nibble within inches of our feet! Fun times with my dad and brothers watching them👍

[bigmacc]

I remember back in my youth in the 70’s sitting halfway up in the haystacks at the Big Valley ranch at dusk, watching literally 100’s of deer single filing out of the hills to nibble within inches of our feet! Fun times with my dad and brothers watching them👍

Man those were the days👍 I remember when my dad would take me up to a fellas place in the north valley. We would feed the deer carrots and apples right out of our hands.

[bigmacc]

Talking through some of this stuff sure makes me miss the way this valley was. I’m sure there are many on here that truly know what was and what it’s become. I am one. We used to feed deer whenever they needed, we would feed deer when the “game department” said, “let’s help the deer”,  we would plant feed after fires and after winters that got so cold it killed orchards, crops and buckbrush. There was a time when that’s what you did, the game department cared, the residents cared and folks would travel from all parts to help the herd just make it, one, more, year. Because, if that happened, it would insure there would be many more years of a healthy herd. My oh my how things have changed 😢

[bigmacc]

Talking about local deer, I know a individual who has a small herd showing up at his place for breakfast and dinner.  Feeds them a mixture of feed of COB and rabbit pellets.  As long as they keep showing up, he'll keep feeding them.

But then he does his part at keeping the bear population down too!  Usually bags a nice one every year with a bow.  He is also not a follower of Fitkin!

I can recall the days when it was open season on the deer when they attacked the local orchards.   The 68 freeze did most of the orchards in then, so its was no longer a huge problem after that.  Last count I think there is only two left between Twisp and Mazama.

Yes sir, that 68 freeze was incredible! I’ve told a story or two on here when my dad and I were visiting a friend in the valley when that thing hit. If I remember right it set all kinds of records as far as weather goes    It was a “flash freeze” that came right out of the Frazier and funneled into the Methow. We used to have old 8mm film that we took of deer, livestock and pets froze solid. Horrible, the absolute worst I’ve seen, a game fella my dad knew back then said they figured half the herd perished during that deal. I’ll be darned if they didn’t bounce right back within about 5 years.

[hunter399]

Talking about local deer, I know a individual who has a small herd showing up at his place for breakfast and dinner.  Feeds them a mixture of feed of COB and rabbit pellets.  As long as they keep showing up, he'll keep feeding them.

But then he does his part at keeping the bear population down too!  Usually bags a nice one every year with a bow.  He is also not a follower of Fitkin!

I can recall the days when it was open season on the deer when they attacked the local orchards.   The 68 freeze did most of the orchards in then, so its was no longer a huge problem after that.  Last count I think there is only two left between Twisp and Mazama.

Yes sir, that 68 freeze was incredible! I’ve told a story or two on here when my dad and I were visiting a friend in the valley when that thing hit. If I remember right it set all kinds of records as far as weather goes    It was a “flash freeze” that came right out of the Frazier and funneled into the Methow. We used to have old 8mm film that we took of deer, livestock and pets froze solid. Horrible, the absolute worst I’ve seen, a game fella my dad knew back then said they figured half the herd perished during that deal. I’ll be darned if they didn’t bounce right back within about 5 years.

I too have used rabbit pellet to feed deer.
Little more spendy.
Still don't get it though.
It's ok to feed durring Nov and Dec.
Late rifle and archery .
But not ok in January.
It's strange.

[bigmacc]

Talking about local deer, I know a individual who has a small herd showing up at his place for breakfast and dinner.  Feeds them a mixture of feed of COB and rabbit pellets.  As long as they keep showing up, he'll keep feeding them.

But then he does his part at keeping the bear population down too!  Usually bags a nice one every year with a bow.  He is also not a follower of Fitkin!

I can recall the days when it was open season on the deer when they attacked the local orchards.   The 68 freeze did most of the orchards in then, so its was no longer a huge problem after that.  Last count I think there is only two left between Twisp and Mazama.

Yes sir, that 68 freeze was incredible! I’ve told a story or two on here when my dad and I were visiting a friend in the valley when that thing hit. If I remember right it set all kinds of records as far as weather goes    It was a “flash freeze” that came right out of the Frazier and funneled into the Methow. We used to have old 8mm film that we took of deer, livestock and pets froze solid. Horrible, the absolute worst I’ve seen, a game fella my dad knew back then said they figured half the herd perished during that deal. I’ll be darned if they didn’t bounce right back within about 5 years.

I too have used rabbit pellet to feed deer.
Little more spendy.
Still don't get it though.
It's ok to feed durring Nov and Dec.
Late rifle and archery .
But not ok in January.
It's strange.

I myself am not sure about the rabbit pellets, we used what the Game fellas through in the back of our trucks. I do remember not feeding late into the winter( late January and beyond ). I remember dropping truckloads in spots from Twisp going as far north as our rigs would get us. My family back in those days knew of a few areas even the game guys didn’t know of(pre 60,s), in fact they would have bios, wardens, college folks etc talk with my great grandparents, my dad and other family members. My dad went on many rides involving numerous bios and game department folks checking staging areas and corridors that were new to them at the time. I remember my great grandma taking a few game department guys into a corridor out of BC that meshes with 3 or 4 that move east out of the Pasayten. They pretty much laughed at her when she said where this place was. She enjoyed hiking in there in the spring to watch the reverse migration, full of all the babies. Her favorite time of year and an area at that time only a very few knew of. She would pack in there and stay for days by herself, watching literally thousands of deer stroll by, many with all their fawns moving back up to the summer range. This was an area the department was curious if back then. We would dump pellets back in November and December in an area that was 3-4 thousand feet less in elevation when the weather looked like it may take a toll. That’s all I’ll say. Feeding the deer in the Methow used to be done in many ways, shapes and forms I guess you could say and you know what, they did just fine, THE largest migrating mule deer herd around at one time. Shameful, what this state has let happen to them, just shameful.

[Twispriver]

Hunter399 - As I understand it, what the biologists are saying is that if you are going to feed the deer in January you should start in October. Its the effect of the sudden change in diet that does them harm.

[Ridgeratt]

I think you will find the digestive system changes so they can survive on browse and not rich green hay of any of the pellet's feeds. they have found deer with a full stomach of hay they couldn't digest.

[hunter399]

Hunter399 - As I understand it, what the biologists are saying is that if you are going to feed the deer in January you should start in October. Its the effect of the sudden change in diet that does them harm.

I understand that part.

But it's ok to dump a 50lb bag wherever in November.
For hunting purposes.
But not ok in January.

It's a slippery slopes to take away baiting.
Is what I'm suggesting.

[Twispriver]

The bait you drop during the season doesn't ever comprise the deer's entire diet. What you feed in January just might.

[hunter399]

The bait you drop during the season doesn't ever comprise the deer's entire diet. What you feed in January just might.

I think we are heading down that road.
Where all baiting for deer or elk ,year round.
Will go bye bye .

Winter feeding issues.
Along with disease issues.

Slippery slopes.