An oberservation

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groomerdriver

New member
This is the first year EVER that I have not seen a deer on the trail. Granted, at 1,150 miles this was a down year for me but still. And I know in low snow years they don't have to use the hardpack trails so they can moved around easier. Last week I saw a single deer cross the trail....but all year didn't come upon a single deer or group of deer on the trail.

Personally I'm a believer in the theory that wolves, coyotes and bears are damaging the herd tremendously but honestly that's not the reason for this post. I'm just wondering if others noticed the same as I have?
 
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EXCESSIVE FORCE

New member
Actually at the beginning of the season (jan) i thought the same thing,but toward the end of feb/early mar we saw quite a few.I also saw a couple wolves in the same time frame,and i agree with you about the wolf problem that the DNR won't acknowledge......These observations were in the U.P.
 
LoveMyDobe

LoveMyDobe

Well-known member
Deer on trails around IR WI

Come to think of it, when I was out riding this past week, I only saw deer one at a time, no herds. I can hear the wolves and cyotes around our house at night. I didn't feed the deer here at home this winter, so that is probably the reason I haven't seen them in my yard.
 
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whitedust

Well-known member
Nope.... actually saw a lot more deer in northern WI about the same on 8 Sidnaw to BC & about the same 2 Watersmeet to Iron River,MI. In Phelps they have predator hunt 2x in winter kill anything with teeth & 4 legs & give awards. They claim that saves 100 deer probably fawnes & can't say I agree with the predator carnage sooner or later this will upset the balance of nature but legal. Oh well.
 
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durphee

Well-known member
I guess a good indicator would be the number of deer taken during deer season. I havent seen any numbers on this. Does anyone have some good statistical numbers on last years hunt total?
 
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packerlandrider

Well-known member
I actually saw more deer up here in the Keweenaw compared to last year. In the lake effect snowbelts, they like to stay closer to the lake where snow depths are lower and vegetation more pleasing (trees like Eastern hemlock and Northern white cedar).
 
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whitedust

Well-known member
Recently like last week the WI DNR said the WI deer heard is above what they want of course they did not say by zone just in general. I would think Wausau & south would be deer city with VERY mild winter & all that corn to eat year round.
 
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windingtrailgal

Active member
I saw a lot by car...none by sled this year. I'm sure Mr RunningBear has another take on this after HITTING one! I was really surprised we didn't see a lot after the 18-22" of snow dumping in the Northwoods!
 
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polarisrider1

New member
No shortage of deer in the lower. They flourish here with milder winters, corn fields, apple orchards and less hunters. Deer are very plentiful in southern MI.
 
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jr37

Well-known member
We have had 7 deer here in our yard almost daily all winter. Other winters they were gone.
 
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caged_beagle

Member
We saw plenty of deer on our rides this winter. The only difference is there is way less snow and I think the "herds" never really yarded up. Now you have many smaller groups of deer yarding up together, further and further away from eachother due to them being able to travel this winter easier due to the less amount of snow which in turn you may see less. It's easier to view deer close to the trail when they are yarded up in bunches of 50, 100, 200 but when they are in smaller groups of maybe 5, 10, 15 they are harder to glance at unless directly in the middle of the trail.

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blkhwkbob

Active member
Haven't you been reading the board? With all of this talk of Ricky Racer and inconsiderate riders not sharing the trail, the deer have also chosen to go off trail.
 
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dab102999

New member
Depends where u ar at in the southern also..for the last 3 years have been seeing a consistant 20 to 50 deer a day on my way to work...this year i am lucky to see a group of 3 once a day..have had a heard of about 15 in my yard 3 to 5 times a week until this year...now maybe once a week if not two weeks will see 2 or 3 wonder thru...not a lot of talk of our area having an above average season either.
 
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ripcord

New member
A hunting buddy always used to say " the deer are SOMEWHERE, all of the time", to which I finally came up with the reply "the deer are where they are, when they're there... but when they're not, they're where they are". :confused:

"... more deer north of 28..." sounds good to me.
 
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