Seeing Winter from the Wildlife Perspective

By Jason Beck - Idaho Department of Fish and Game Winter is make or break time for wildlife. This winter is shaping up to be very mild by almost every standard, so that means that wildlife must be faring wellÉ right? The answer is entirely based on the perspective of the particular wildlife you are asking about. Every wild creature has its own adaptations for surviving winter. Some strategies are elegant - bears just curl up and sleep until it warms up again. Some strategies seem terribly inefficient - many birds fly thousands of miles only to turn around and fly back. Some strategies seem inhumane - in a stable mule deer population, we can expect that at least 50 percent of the fawns will die in an average winter. And some strategies seem creative - many birds and rodents dig snow caves to obtain both food and shelter. Whether this winter is good or bad depends on the way an animal is prepared to survive the winter. For the mule deer and elk that are so much a part of the local hunting culture, this mild weather is a good sign for the short-term. Deer are feeding on snow-free hillsides, and many elk herds haven't even moved down from the mountains. Mule deer research has shown that survival improves with mild winter months followed by wet weather later in the spring. That means the short-term outlook for hoofed wildlife is definitely encouraging, but we still need a wetter than average spring to really boost our herds. After all, a healthy summer range means mule deer have the opportunity to pack on the necessary fat that is essential for surviving the next winter. Surprisingly, deer and elk are still raiding haystacks in some areas this winter, demonstrating once again that these hay addicts will come for a hand-out even when natural conditions could hardly be any better. If a farmer has hay to share, what's the harm in helping deer or elk? Well, first, sharing hay is rarely going to help deer or elk. They will eat hay, just like a kid will eat ice cream. And just like a kid and ice cream, deer and elk will pass over more nutritious food to get to the dessert. In fact, deer do not have the ability to digest hay under most circumstances, and can actually starve to death on a diet of hay. Why? During the winter months, deer lack the microorganisms in their digestive tracts to aid in the digestion of traditional livestock feeds like alfalfa hay. In addition, diseases spread much more rapidly when humans feed deer and elk. Brucellosis is a current example of the relationship between feeding and disease. In areas where brucellosis is prevalent, feed-ground elk usually have 20 percent or higher infection rates, while elk a few miles away that stay on natural feed are almost completely disease free with infection rates from 0-2 percent. Sometimes it's not just the health of wildlife that's at risk. Feeding deer can increase the incidence of Lyme disease and tuberculosis, diseases that can spread to humans. If winter is shaping up well for deer and elk survival, fish are going to have a completely different perspective. Southeast Idaho's snowpack holds less than 60 percent of normal for March 1. That means low flows will be coming from the mountains, reservoirs will be dropping fast, and fish can ultimately run out of water - depending on irrigation demand and other factors. Good news for pelicans and scavengers, bad news for fish. Migratory animals are also going to have different perspectives about winter conditions. Raptors that migrate to Idaho for the winter should be faring well if they are targeting rabbits in white winter fur contrast against a brown background. On the other hand, our summer residents that have flown south for the winter can expect to come back to reduced plant growth, which means less food for raising chicks and less cover to hide from predators. Next time you venture out to enjoy this winter season, take a moment to consider the perspective of your favorite Idaho wildlife before you decide whether this is a good or bad winter. Jason Beck is the landowner/sportsmen coordinator for Southeast Region.