Winter feeding

[eelgrass]

I just read an article on Nevadas website (www.ndow.org) telling people not to feed mule deer this winter. The article specifically mentions that alfalfa hay is particularly bad.

I know some states winter feed and I know some private land owners in Utah who winter feed mule deer. Does anybody know how much is being done in the different states? What kind of feed is used for mule deer?

Do you think we should be doing more? I know that some winters are really hard on deer. Is it cost effective or very practical?

Thanks for your info and thoughts.

Steve

 

[boneaddict]

The biggest problem is that deer don't digest hay the way elk do. THey fill their stomachs up so that they are not hungry, but don't have the bacteria needed to harvest the appropriate nutrients. They then get the shi++ and lose even more nutrients. They then starve to death with a full stomach. Specially designed pellets are made for them that they actually can get nutrients from. THe other problem is that it groups animals up in concentrations, and disease can go rampant such as brucellosis, or the new one up here, the brown louse.

 

[4x6]

ya know i have heared that but someone should tell the damn deer in my camp every summer not to eat my hay i bring up for the horses. they eat out of my hay stack all summer and fall long i can go out there in the morning and find 3-4 in the summer time then come hunting time there are about6-8 deer in the hay stack mabye someone should tell them that they are not suppost to eat it!!!

 

[Skunkterd]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-10-05 AT 06:45AM (MST)[p]First of all, anyone who tells you not to feed alfalfa is full of $hit. 9 years runnig a mule deer feed program, and let me tell you alfalfa is the best thing out there!

Remember you can $hit the tourist but there is no $hitting skunk $hit

 

[4x6]

at least someone knows what i am talking about! in the winter of 1981 we feed the deer up middlefork using pellets and it worked great did not have near the winter kill that other places had that bad winter. you could walk right up and put the alfalfa pellets in the troph and they would not even move away you eas pouring the ##### righ on there face! they definatly enjoyed what we were doing for them!!! now there are so many house up there and the dwr said DONT FEED THEM! the people in the houses dont like all the deer in there front and back yards. well tell me something who is in who's back and front yard????

 

[elk_horn]

The sad thing is ... they are going to build another 250 homes near there.

 

[4x6]

i did not figure it would tak to long till they were at the top of the mountain. where did you hear that from? have you seen some of the houses up there my god my house would fit in there garage.

 

[BOBCATBEST]

4x6 and Skunk,

I think you 2 have been into the jet fuel again.

-Bobcat

THE ONLY BOBCAT WONDERING WHEN HILL AFB WILL
START REQUIRING RESPIRATORS

 

[4x6]

what wrong we not sharing again? bobcat (oops sorry) BOBCATBEST well just ask and you shall receive. no respirators will not be required they want to kill us all of like the muleys!!! (SORRY BOBCATBEST) THE ONLY 4X6 WONDERING WHO SKUNK IS AND IF HE HAS MORE ACCESS TO JET FUEL!!