Phil from Maine

It was in todays paper that up in Caribou Maine has recieved a record amount of snowfall this year. The most snow ever recorded since record keeping began in 1939. A total of 182.5 inches and still snowing on friday afternoon. Most of the state has been close to record breaking this year. That makes me wonder how our deer herd is doing up in the back country areas.. Here is a pic of 2 deer wading through somesnow up here this past winter..

birdhunter75

I'll pass that along to my Dad when I see him for Easter dinner tomorrow. He won't believe it....."it was like that every year" he'll say.
By the way, great picture. I don't know how the animals survive those conditions.

Pawildman

*&%##!!!>>* Global Warming !!!

Troutman10

We have quite a few deer that get out of the area and migrate when heavy snows come for the winter. I'm sure alot of the deer got outa dodge once they felt the weather coming. They are smart and know what to do. That's why their still around after all these years.

Phil from Maine

Here deer normally goes into yarding areas for the winter so that they can create trails to travel through. The problem now is woodcutters cutting almost every stick they can find. This leaves areas around highways uncut where some deer have been yarding up and getting hit by cars and trucks when crossing the roads. You look at the deeper parts of the woods and lake shores as well as rivers and streams are left for deer to yard in. Add the Eastern Coyote to the mix ( which was never a natural animal here) and the deer herd is going to take a deep slide backwards for a few years because of this. Top that with rain and hail and the snow gets crusty so that coyotes and bobcats can get around easier on top of the snow while the deer sink into it. I think you have the picture of what maybe very well happening right now with our deer herd. They did start making some great comebacks the last 3 years or so. hopefully because of the comebacks they had made that they will not be hurt to awful bad by this mess up here.

Phil from Maine

I have an update on what has been happening up here with some of the big game we all enjoy to watch and hunt.. I was talking with a warden last week and coyotes have not been a real big problem this year.. However because of the amount of snowfall in some areas deer and moose are having it hard. Lack of food for the deer are causing some real problems in some areas and starvation is currently taking place. I am posting a few pics that have been sent to me of a moose in the Mars Hill area that a snowmobiler came a cross. Unfortunately this moose didn't make it. This will let most know how this past winter has been in Northern Maine.. First pic is a discovery of a moose that was almost buried for 2 or 3 days.

Phil from Maine

here is another pic of the same moose being shoveled out..

Phil from Maine

Here is the last pic of the moose after a lot of shoveling but the moose couldn't stand up after being in the snow for so long... Unfortunately the winter of 2008 is taking it's toll on our deer and moose this year in the northern half of the state, it's the worst seen in years..

Phil from Maine

Just an update, The Maine Warden Service is requesting that the antlerless deer harvest be reduced by 23% this fall. That includes no anterless deer be taken in new zones being created during youth day, archery hunting, as well as less antlerless deer permits.. This is because of the amount of snow this past winter and the number of deer that have been dying because of it.. It doesn't look as though it will be a very good year up this way.. Though time will tell the story better.. I am guessing we will have a high mortality on fawns in some areas as well. We still have a lot of snow in the woods up here right now..

VT Ridges

I am glad to hear that ME's Fish Game Department has the authority and flexibility to make decisions regarding the doe permits. Several years ago, VT had a miserable winter and thewinter kill was way up. The state claimed that they had already set the permits and didn't need to change it. Personally, I think that they were just trying to sell permits. VT paid for that decision for many years.