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

[Skyvalhunter]

If CWD raises it's head here then we might have a problem. This year the deer are hanging lower in the valley due to the above average snow remaining on the ground. If the deer are seeking comfort by being closer to the human population I am fine with that. But to listen to the bio's stating we don't have predator issue is total BS. Everyone knows it's a problem.

[bigmacc]

If CWD raises it's head here then we might have a problem. This year the deer are hanging lower in the valley due to the above average snow remaining on the ground. If the deer are seeking comfort by being closer to the human population I am fine with that. But to listen to the bio's stating we don't have predator issue is total BS. Everyone knows it's a problem.

, and I’ll add, it’s the number one issue concerning the well-being of this herd, BAR NONE.
Sorry Sky, I’m agreeing with you on all points, especially concerning predators 👍

[boneaddict]

Back in the day when they fed.   There was way more range, and about a third less snow

[hunter399]

Well been out and about.
Seen many many deer out eating in every field that the snow has melted.
Eating whatever grows in those fields.
Some deer I drove past,went fishing 6 hours,came back down the road. Same deer standing there that was there 6 HR prior.

[7mmfan]

The few webcams in the valley are beginning to show open ground. There's at least some browse to eat. Another few 45-50 degree days and we should start seeing a few patches of green for them to eat.

Have those of you living in the Valley been able to see any sign of significant die off?

[hunter399]

The few webcams in the valley are beginning to show open ground. There's at least some browse to eat. Another few 45-50 degree days and we should start seeing a few patches of green for them to eat.

Have those of you living in the Valley been able to see any significant sign of significant die off?

I'm in NE.
But there is some green up starting.

[bigmacc]

The few webcams in the valley are beginning to show open ground. There's at least some browse to eat. Another few 45-50 degree days and we should start seeing a few patches of green for them to eat.

Have those of you living in the Valley been able to see any significant sign of significant die off?

Will probably start finding carcasses in areas in the next month or so. I remember in the mid 90,s after all that snow melted down there were a couple areas where we found over a couple dozen in one of the spots and over 30 in another area. We found them in April, the two areas we found them was obvious they had hunkered in and we’re trying to wait it out and starved. Almost like that time an old cowboy friend of mine and his wife were going to pick up some fishermen in the Pasayten, they took a shortcut skirting a box canyon and seen hundreds of carcasses (they figured over 150) scattered all around the sides, mostly under trees and in thickets. They figured the deer got trapped in there during a storm and were trying to wait it out, probably kept snowing and piling up and they never made it out, probably getting buried by 15 or 20 feet of snow eventually. He said it was the most eerie thing he had ever witnessed, he said he never told anyone exactly where this spot was, he almost felt it was sacred. This was back in the 70,s.

[wolfbait]

The few webcams in the valley are beginning to show open ground. There's at least some browse to eat. Another few 45-50 degree days and we should start seeing a few patches of green for them to eat.

Have those of you living in the Valley been able to see any sign of significant die off?

Lower elevation southern slopes are baring off, and the deer are in the new green, hard to tell at this point on winter kill, there really weren't too many left to start with. From what I have seen the fawn count is horrible, out of 53 head that have moved in on us there are 6 fawns, a split between old Doe's and younger ones, plus three young bucks. Some of these deer moved up here from town, they go back and forth depending on the predators.
Some wolves came through here about three weeks ago and killed 2 that we found, prey must be getting harder to come by as they had them cleaned up fairly well by morning, didn't leave much of anything for the coyotes and birds.

Back in the 70's we rode in along the base of Pole Pick MT, and we counted 60 some deer piled up in the bottom where a slide took a bunch out, and this year was a bad year for slides, with several layers.

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.

@timberfaller-Quite a few people in the Methow have been feeding the deer this winter, feed stores have made extra this year selling dry cob, alfalfa pellets, goat feed and alfalfa mix hay for deer feed. It's good to see that there are people who care and don't follow the line of BS pushed by some.

Bigmacc-We had the 8mm film also of the deer herds in the fifties and and 60's etc., my sister had it converted to DVD's, shows the huge herds in the springtime, it was no big deal back then to see two/three hundred head a day. And In the winter, you could count 150 head from Twisp to where the timber starts going over the Loup, those were the days of the Game Department-Now you are lucky to count 5, we saw one doe today till we hit Twisp. It is a very sad picture now, compared to what it once was. It will never come close to the old days with those running this state and WDFW.


1968 was the winter that the neighbors chickens all fell out of his trees when it warmed up, he had around a 100 head of banty's.

[timberfaller]

 

[bigmacc]

The few webcams in the valley are beginning to show open ground. There's at least some browse to eat. Another few 45-50 degree days and we should start seeing a few patches of green for them to eat.

Have those of you living in the Valley been able to see any sign of significant die off?

Lower elevation southern slopes are baring off, and the deer are in the new green, hard to tell at this point on winter kill, there really weren't too many left to start with. From what I have seen the fawn count is horrible, out of 53 head that have moved in on us there are 6 fawns, a split between old Doe's and younger ones, plus three young bucks. Some of these deer moved up here from town, they go back and forth depending on the predators.
Some wolves came through here about three weeks ago and killed 2 that we found, prey must be getting harder to come by as they had them cleaned up fairly well by morning, didn't leave much of anything for the coyotes and birds.

Back in the 70's we rode in along the base of Pole Pick MT, and we counted 60 some deer piled up in the bottom where a slide took a bunch out, and this year was a bad year for slides, with several layers.

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.

@timberfaller-Quite a few people in the Methow have been feeding the deer this winter, feed stores have made extra this year selling dry cob, alfalfa pellets, goat feed and alfalfa mix hay for deer feed. It's good to see that there are people who care and don't follow the line of BS pushed by some.

Bigmacc-We had the 8mm film also of the deer herds in the fifties and and 60's etc., my sister had it converted to DVD's, shows the huge herds in the springtime, it was no big deal back then to see two/three hundred head a day. And In the winter, you could count 150 head from Twisp to where the timber starts going over the Loup, those were the days of the Game Department-Now you are lucky to count 5, we saw one doe today till we hit Twisp. It is a very sad picture now, compared to what it once was. It will never come close to the old days with those running this state and WDFW.


1968 was the winter that the neighbors chickens all fell out of his trees when it warmed up, he had around a 100 head of banty's.

Yep that 68 winter was the worst I’ve ever seen, not so much for snow but for that “freeze” that came in, just brutal. You talk of chickens falling out of trees. I remember that also, along with engine blocks freezing and cracking and seeing livestock froze, some still upright leaning against buildings or trees. A friend up in the north valley had pictures and film of coyotes running down deer that would fall through the crust of ice and snow that was about 12 to 20 inches deep if I remember right, the yotes ran them down like they were running on concrete. I remember deer inside of barns up around 8mile that ranchers would give access, some even put heaters inside. A friend of my dads had a picture of about 12 deer or so in his barn with their legs shredded from walking through the ice, he would go in a feed them daily, they stayed in or around his barn for weeks.

Man, I wish we would have done something with all our film. Some was salvageable some was not.

[bearpaw]

This silly topic makes me laugh, the state of Idaho is feeding deer and elk all over the state to keep them alive! They started paying my neighbor to feed hay (what he feeds his cows) every afternoon about three weeks ago. These elk are living in the open field all day waiting for hay a short distance from my house. I don't see any falling over dead yet!

[Stein]

When the state feeds them, they go out and train them to not eat too much too soon, so it's all good.

[bigmacc]

This silly topic makes me laugh, the state of Idaho is feeding deer and elk all over the state to keep them alive! They started paying my neighbor to feed hay (what he feeds his cows) every afternoon about three weeks ago. These elk are living in the open field all day waiting for hay a short distance from my house. I don't see any falling over dead yet!

Yep👍