Kudos to the Organizations and Individuals helping the deer and elk in the EK's!

[cassiarkid]

We have had 3-4 b-train loads of Hay leave the yard in the last two weeks, as well as had many people living in the back 40's come for Hay to help the animals here in the East Kootenay's. We all truely know when animals need are help who are the first to step up to the plate. Haven't seen any granola eaten' grizzly savin' protestors come by yet to help?!! Anyways just thought I'd thank all those people for trying to get the animals through the last months of this winter!
Cheers

[guest]

We have had 3-4 b-train loads of Hay leave the yard in the last two weeks, as well as had many people living in the back 40's come for Hay to help the animals here in the East Kootenay's. We all truely know when animals need are help who are the first to step up to the plate. Haven't seen any granola eaten' grizzly savin' protestors come by yet to help?!! Anyways just thought I'd thank all those people for trying to get the animals through the last months of this winter!
Cheers

terrific to hear ...... Great Post :lol:

cheers t you all!

CT

[Ride Red]

We have had 3-4 b-train loads of Hay leave the yard in the last two weeks, as well as had many people living in the back 40's come for Hay to help the animals here in the East Kootenay's. We all truely know when animals need are help who are the first to step up to the plate. Haven't seen any granola eaten' grizzly savin' protestors come by yet to help?!! Anyways just thought I'd thank all those people for trying to get the animals through the last months of this winter!
Cheers

Many thanks to all who have stepped up. Great job!!!

[boxhitch]

Good on them if they are helping a dire situation....
but what is the issue this year? Snow packs are at the normal level, right? Slightly colder but no extremes, right?
Icy layers? Deep low elevation snow? Whatzup?

[cassiarkid]

Good on them if they are helping a dire situation....
but what is the issue this year? Snow packs are at the normal level, right? Slightly colder but no extremes, right?
Icy layers? Deep low elevation snow? Whatzup?

We have had deeper than normal snowpack in the valleys for longer than normal, then the snow hardened allowing predators to stay on top while deer and elk break through the crust, and since deer and elk are generally grazers, it is very difficult for them to find their food source as well.
In February I was in the Jaffray area and watched a fawn try to get off the road and finally just give up because of the deep snow! Hopefully the winter kill and predator kill isn't too bad!
Last year at this time I think I was getting new grass coming up in my lawn, this year it's still under 2 feet of snow!

Cheers

[LBM]

Interesting letter in the kootenay advertiser on why wildlife should maybe not be fed.

[Walking Buffalo]

First thing I thought of when reading the OP....

These people may kill more deer than they save.

[kootenaycarver]

The snow levels in the East Kootenay's are unbelievably deep and crusted. The snow at my place in Cranbrook is at least 3 feet deep and very crusted. It is going to be an extremely difficult year on the wildlife. Since my 15 or so years in Cranbrook, I have never seen conditions anywhere close to this bad.

[evhunter]

Snow pack is definitely deeper than average in the valley bottoms. However, mountain snow pack is at average levels. Thankfully, the snow piled up in February and not November as in '96... An even tougher winter for deer and elk

[oclarkii]

Here's the letter referenced above:

http://www.e-know.ca/regions/east-kootenay/feed-not-feed-elk-science-say/

Written by Mark Hall, VP of the EK Wildlife Association.

[Ride Red]

I'd have to question some of Mark's writing. He states that "friut, corn ect cannot be digested in the winter"? Really, so when they gorge themselves in the fall on apples in the okanagan they're ok? We had whitetails on the farm come in the winter to eat hay and any grain spilled by our graineries when the weather was tough. Those deer were the fatest deer in the area. Not saying I'm totally against his column, just some points seem far fetched.

[goinghunting]

We've got the same issues in the west kootenays with big snow levels onwintering grounds and hard crust making it hard to get at feed. Hope its not going to lead to big winter kill numbers our animal numbers have been struggling as is.

[boxhitch]

Red, I think its a case of getting too much of something when not being accustomed to it. Lots of deer never get corn or apples and suddenly gorging is bound to bring some complications. Not an issue if quantities are moderated.

[Walking Buffalo]

I'd have to question some of Mark's writing. He states that "friut, corn ect cannot be digested in the winter"? Really, so when they gorge themselves in the fall on apples in the okanagan they're ok? We had whitetails on the farm come in the winter to eat hay and any grain spilled by our graineries when the weather was tough. Those deer were the fatest deer in the area. Not saying I'm totally against his column, just some points seem far fetched.

Yes, really.

The problem is bug related. Ungulates need specific bacteria to digest specific foods. Introducing new foods when they are in a compromised state can be lethal.
Lots of documentation showing deef stuffed with hay in their stomachs, dead from intestinal blockages, etc, cause they don't have the gut bacteria to digest it.

The same applies to apples. If the deer haven't been eating apples, and suddenly that is the main/only food source, they may gorge on the apples despite not being able to digest them, due to not having built up the stomach bacteria required to digest this new food. This situation can be lethal. Deer may expend more energy consuming a food source that they can not efficiently digest, causing a negative calorie output, accelerated starvation despite having a full belly.

It needs to be recognized that emergency feeding must be done with knowledge of these concerns.
The good intentions could cause MORE deaths than if the deer were not given a new food source.

[HighCountryBC]

Yes, really.

The problem is bug related. Ungulates need specific bacteria to digest specific foods. Introducing new foods when they are in a compromised state can be lethal.
Lots of documentation showing deef stuffed with hay in their stomachs, dead from intestinal blockages, etc, cause they don't have the gut bacteria to digest it.

The same applies to apples. If the deer haven't been eating apples, and suddenly that is the main/only food source, they may gorge on the apples despite not being able to digest them, due to not having built up the stomach bacteria required to digest this new food. This situation can be lethal. Deer may expend more energy consuming a food source that they can not efficiently digest, causing a negative calorie output, accelerated starvation despite having a full belly.

It needs to be recognized that emergency feeding must be done with knowledge of these concerns.
The good intentions could cause MORE deaths than if the deer were not given a new food source.

x2. Know of several deer in the Okanagan that have had a necropsy done after death. Stomachs were full of apples and alfalfa yet they died of starvation. Perfectly healthy animals.

[beeugle]

dare I??? seems a lot of the good feed goes to the grazing cattle on the open ranges most of the year leaving very little left for our ungulates... however the cattle get fed good hay in the winter..then out to open range again to fatten up for the wallets of some..... just saying....

[Ride Red]

x2. Know of several deer in the Okanagan that have had a necropsy done after death. Stomachs were full of apples and alfalfa yet they died of starvation. Perfectly healthy animals.

Interesting. I did a little homework and came up with this.
https://www1.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/pdfs/deer_winter_feeding.pdf

[bownut]

Here's the letter referenced above:

http://www.e-know.ca/regions/east-kootenay/feed-not-feed-elk-science-say/

Written by Mark Hall, VP of the EK Wildlife Association.

Very interesting, wonder why they still allow baiting of deer in BC if it is such a problem. Maybe it's time to change our way of thinking with all the baits and licks
that have hit the market lately.

Something to think about......

[hoochie]

wonder why they still allow baiting of deer in BC if it is such a problem.

I thought baiting was banned in BC

[albravo2]

After reading stories of starving humans eating bugs, rotten fish guts, other humans etc., I can't really believe we are killing ungulates by providing food that they hadn't eaten before. Sure, some may die, but others will survive. Not feeding them seems a bad idea.

[sawmill]

I thought baiting was banned in BC

For bears and other predaters.

[sawmill]

After reading stories of starving humans eating bugs, rotten fish guts, other humans etc., I can't really believe we are killing ungulates by providing food that they hadn't eaten before. Sure, some may die, but others will survive. Not feeding them seems a bad idea.
Around here the deer go nuts on garbage day ripping open bags on the curb and eating anything they find. And that`s all year long. That`s why you don`t want to eat a town deer. I`v seen them eating dirty diapers. (My neighbor has little kids)

[Comerade]

I live on land in the most eastern part of the East Kootenay and we deal with the elk herds 12 months out of the year
I am one that strongly recommends a winter feeding program...Most landowners will do the same. Hay introduced properly will cause no digestive issues and changing diet suddenly will cause a domestic cow to bloat and die and wildlife is no different.
Just get the Ranchers on side and there will be a wealth of information that could be utilized to enhance wildlife populations around here.
The elk herd around my place camp right here and feed will the livestock -so they are on a dry feed anyways.

[bigben]

The snow levels in the East Kootenay's are unbelievably deep and crusted. The snow at my place in Cranbrook is at least 3 feet deep and very crusted. It is going to be an extremely difficult year on the wildlife. Since my 15 or so years in Cranbrook, I have never seen conditions anywhere close to this bad.
Thank
God you have a snowblower lol need some hay

[j270wsm]

I live on land in the most eastern part of the East Kootenay and we deal with the elk herds 12 months out of the year
I am one that strongly recommends a winter feeding program...Most landowners will do the same. Hay introduced properly will cause no digestive issues and changing diet suddenly will cause a domestic cow to bloat and die and wildlife is no different.
Just get the Ranchers on side and there will be a wealth of information that could be utilized to enhance wildlife populations around here.
The elk herd around my place camp right here and feed will the livestock -so they are on a dry feed anyways.


Considering most ranchers in the east kootenays bitch about the elk damaging their crops.....I can't see them stepping up to help feed the elk, of course there are a few ranchers that will help.

[boxhitch]

Looks like Ma Nature is taking care of things with the warm temps and rain this week.

[Comerade]

There definitely is a divide between landowners and town folk when it comes to.wildlife issues. It seems to us that people that don't deal with these issues daily ,do not see all sides of this issue. Ranchers are a valuable source of information that can easily be used for wildlife issues, knowing how to feed and what to feed,when...to keep their stock alive
Ask any of them or help them and wildlife would benefit.Yes ,Elk can be fed hay and proliferate,it just requires a plan and it needs to be a long term plan. Right at this time elk are being killed on the tracks, highway or hung up on a fence trying to get in or out of a stack yard...hard to see. Yup ,Boxhitch the thaw can continue around here and will.help.

[J_T]

Considering most ranchers in the east kootenays bitch about the elk damaging their crops.....I can't see them stepping up to help feed the elk, of course there are a few ranchers that will help. Let's be cautious about labeling groups from the past. I'd prefer to think positively going forward and everyone can become a part of the solution.

I'm not real fan of winter feeding, but for those who haven't seen it, this has been a particularly difficult year. The biggest 'winter' kill component, is not lack of food, it's highways and railways. Having said that, the animals this year are having a difficult time moving around to get at food. Getting any supplemental feed to the animals has been tough.

There are jurisdictions who plan for and commit to, successful winter feeding programs and frankly, maybe a more regimented approach is a good idea here. It can be carried out in such a way as to have the least impact, ensure healthier animals for spring, 'more' animals for spring, and it can be done in a way that minimizes any possibility for disease and unwanted predation. But it takes a plan, involvement from more than just hunters, money and commitment to do it right.

[j270wsm]

It's not groups from the past that I'm talking about. It's the ranchers that continue to complain to the ministry to have the elk numbers pushed back further. As I said before I realize it's not all ranchers that feel this way it there is still a lot that do.