Heavy snow/ice cutting legs of wildlife. (dog, cold, pet)
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Here, in Northeast PA, we had about a foot of snow with a half in crust of ice. Then we had another 10 to a foot on top of that snow.
Our deer are trying to stay on our paths and roads. I saw some of them close up and their legs are bleeding from that ice crust. I have a friend, at work, that left his dog 'play' outside to find that his dog had cuts on his legs.
If you have a pet; make sure they stay inside until conditions improve. Also; watch out for deer standing in the roads because they do not want to jump into the snow.
All true, even here on LI. The deer didn't even come around for a time there. Now the crust has softened but there is a lot more snow on top so you go half way down then fall through another 8 inches. Dogs can actually break their legs from trying to romp and falling through. Geez- the darn crust even cut my boots up!
All true, even here on LI. The deer didn't even come around for a time there. Now the crust has softened but there is a lot more snow on top so you go half way down then fall through another 8 inches. Dogs can actually break their legs from trying to romp and falling through. Geez- the darn crust even cut my boots up!
I walked within six feet of five deer that did not want to get off the plowed path I was on. On three, of the six, I could clearly see blood and scabs on their legs. They finally jumped into the snow at the last second and then just made a quick bypass to get back on the path. If I encounter them again I will try to get pictures. They are trying to finish off any rhododendron around our house - there isn't too much left right now!
Cuts heal. This isn't the first time these conditions have happened. Dogs and deer didn't go extinct last time. Or the time before that. Or the time before that.
True, cuts do heal, but it doesn't hurt to caution people about watching out for deer...it is a huge inconvenience to hit a deer, then rent a car, then wait for car repair, insurance coverage, etc. And while this particular winter, isn't the worst for me, as I'm 65, young people do not remember cold hard winters that seemed to last for months on end. I remember when our harsh winters here in PA started in December, and snow, Lord, we had more snow then then we have now, which lasted until March....so for me, and a whole lot of people my age, this harsh winter we're having is nothing new....nor is it the harshest we've ever experienced.
Cuts heal. This isn't the first time these conditions have happened. Dogs and deer didn't go extinct last time. Or the time before that. Or the time before that.
Yes they do heal - if the animal is healthy and can get to food. The deer that rely on handouts and eat our shrubbery will probably live to see another day. Deep woods deer might not.
Back in the 1950's and 60's our Game Commission used to encourage the hunters to provide food for deer during harsh winters. They liked hunters to drop hay or (preferably) cut and bend over maple trees (in the warmer months) to provide browse for the deer. Anymore it seems nobody really worries if a few starve to death. But times change and attitudes change.
I just don't like to see animals suffer and these conditions make them suffer. That's nature - there will be winners and losers.
Yes they do heal - if the animal is healthy and can get to food. The deer that rely on handouts and eat our shrubbery will probably live to see another day. Deep woods deer might not.
Back in the 1950's and 60's our Game Commission used to encourage the hunters to provide food for deer during harsh winters. They liked hunters to drop hay or (preferably) cut and bend over maple trees (in the warmer months) to provide browse for the deer. Anymore it seems nobody really worries if a few starve to death. But times change and attitudes change.
I just don't like to see animals suffer and these conditions make them suffer. That's nature - there will be winners and losers.
wise way to look at things, back in the day, my now ex belonged to a hunting club, they used to feed the deer corn, however, once you start, you must continue feeding them corn the rest of the year, and I forget what the reason is, but they will die if you don't.
Would you know why?
They always said, nature has a way of taking care of it's own, and it is horrible to say, but if we have a tough winter, the weak die out, the doe, will not have more then one baby in the spring, but a mild winter, encourages growth and more survival. Yes, nature surely does have a way of taking care of business....the most fascinating thing I've ever heard is this.....
When those crazy catapillars (gypsy Moths) multiply and attack our trees, I found out, they may be bad, really bad, one year, but the trees themselves, develop and give off a poison that kills these gypsy moths, and the cycle starts all over again, until once again, the gypsy moths over many years redevelop and attack all our trees again, the trees develop a poison to kill them off.
That is the same with climate and climate change, it is all about cycles...reoccuring, some worse then others some mild, and some not so bad.m
Just saying, not contradicting anything you've posted, just thinking out loud so to speak. ;0)
I did like the comments after the article. One comment pointed out that deer have been hanging around corn field since we started farming - they should all be dead! Think of all of the deer corn sold in stores all over the country. In many states we are allowing deer corn to be sold right through hunting season - even though it is against state law to feed or bait deer (go figure).
I never heard that about gypsy moths and our trees developing a defense against them. I'll have to check that out. I know my ducks developed a taste for gypsy moths - if they could only fly up and grab the ones off the trees!
I did like the comments after the article. One comment pointed out that deer have been hanging around corn field since we started farming - they should all be dead! Think of all of the deer corn sold in stores all over the country. In many states we are allowing deer corn to be sold right through hunting season - even though it is against state law to feed or bait deer (go figure).
I never heard that about gypsy moths and our trees developing a defense against them. I'll have to check that out. I know my ducks developed a taste for gypsy moths - if they could only fly up and grab the ones off the trees!
YES, but like the other comment pointed out and it is true, all the corn in the U.S. has been genetically altered? Makes sense? I'm going back, oh, maybe 23 - 25 years, the hunting club used to buy ears of corn and go up to our club and lay it all out for the deer, however, I was told that if you started doing so, you shouldn't stop, and the article you posted explains why. Thank you
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Feeding in lots of places has been banned, for good reason. Lots of people shoot over feed lots. And perhaps more importantly it can promote density and potentially the spread of CWD (of course in some places they den up densely in deer yards, but that is area dependent).
I wouldn't worry about the deer. Yeah, some die. It won't go to waste. We supply them with enough food as it is and we promote their habitat (edge) as it is. There are more deer now in North America by most estimates (do to this edge and agriculture) than when white men first landed.
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