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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Deer remain in good shape

Despite frequent snow, winter severity likely to finish milder than average

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 2/8/17

REGIONAL— Northeastern Minnesota’s deer population could be poised for a major comeback if the weather pattern that set in this winter continues through the spring. Exceptionally warm conditions …

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Deer remain in good shape

Despite frequent snow, winter severity likely to finish milder than average

Posted

REGIONAL— Northeastern Minnesota’s deer population could be poised for a major comeback if the weather pattern that set in this winter continues through the spring. Exceptionally warm conditions have helped limit the impact of higher-than-average snowfall through the first half of winter, and that has left the winter severity index readings in the mild category, according to Tom Rusch, Tower area wildlife manager for the Department of Natural Resources.

If the trend continues, it would be the third straight winter with mild-to-moderate conditions, and that would mean a third straight year of strong fawn production, said Rusch. “This looks like great news for hunters in 2017,” he said.

DNR wildlife officials note that weather conditions pose the biggest challenges to deer survival in northern Minnesota, with the depth and duration of deep snow cover being the primary factors, along with cold temperatures.

An average winter in the DNR’s Tower work area hits an index reading of approximately 125, with a final index reading under 100 classified as mild.

Through the end of January, index readings across northern St. Louis and Lake counties are running anywhere from the low 40s to the upper-60s.

Extremely mild weather in November and much of December, combined with the longest and most dramatic January thaw on record in the North Country, have added up to a mild winter, despite the above-average snowfall.

“When you have a month without winter, like January, you aren’t going to make that up,” said Rusch.

Barring an extended cold snap and significant new snow, the index is unlikely to exceed 100 in most parts of the region this winter, based on current readings.

As of last week, snow depth exceeded the fifteen-inch threshold only in far northern St. Louis County, such as around Crane Lake, the Echo Trail, the Lake Vermilion area, and northern Lake County, according to Rusch. That’s changed since, after three widespread snowfalls dropped an additional 8-10 inches of snow on the area over the past week. That means most areas will gain a point each day for snow depth for the foreseeable future. But with mild-to-moderate temperatures predicted for the weekend and through the extended forecast, the index is likely to log relatively few points for cold weather.

While the index is a useful tool, Rusch acknowledges it isn’t perfect, since it doesn’t take other factors that can affect deer survival into account. The mild conditions, combined with rare January rain, have combined to create a heavy crust on the snowpack— and Rusch said it means deer are using more energy to make their way through the woods than they would under more typical mid-winter snow conditions. “If we get more snow it could become problematic,” said.

According to Rusch, recent road-killed deer that he’s examined show signs that the crust is having an effect. “On their legs, the hair from the hoof up the leg looks like it’s been shaved right off,” he said.

There is some concern that the conditions are giving wolves— the whitetail’s top predator in the region— a significant advantage, since they are now able to run atop the crust. Rusch said deer can usually stay on top if they’re walking, but break through if they start to run. Such conditions aren’t unusual in March, but deer typically only have to deal with them for two or three weeks at that point. Coming so early in the season this year, the crust conditions are likely to pose a challenge to deer for the remainder of the winter.

Still, notes Rusch, deer that are healthy are less vulnerable to wolf attack, and given the mild conditions so far, the deer are looking good. “They still have that sleek look that tells you they’re in good shape,” said Rusch. “If we stay where we’re at right now with snow, they’ll be fine.”