Snow hurts deer herds

All this snow may be good for plants, reservoirs and skiers, but it may have dire consequences for Utah's deer herds.

Because of the poor condition of critical deer winter range, especially in certain areas of the state, wildlife officials feared that continued harsh conditions could result in heavy losses.

Thus far, heavy snow and cold temperatures have caused big game animals to use up stored energy.

"Now, it depends on how long this lasts," said Jim Karpowitz, big game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

"If the temperatures moderate and the southern slopes lose their snow, we'll be OK. If we continue to get snow and sub-zero temperatures, then we're likely see some mortality."

Utah's deer herds have still not fully recovered from the bad winter of 1983-84. In some areas, upwards of 80 percent of fawns were lost because of extremely harsh winter conditions.

Areas of particular concern this winter are the sagebrush-covered ranges in the northeastern and southeastern areas of the state. The prolonged drought resulted in the loss this past summer of more than 600,0000 acres of sagebrush, a main food source for deer, on crucial winter range. It is onto these areas that deer herds move to eat and replenish energy reserves.

Chris Colt, habitat program manager in the Southeastern Region for the DWR, said large herds have already moved onto the lower sagebrush plains "and are eating what little food is there. What is there won't last through the winter.

"In past years the deer have been able to stay higher, where there is some food. This year the snow has pushed them lower, into areas where there is little if any food."

He called the deep snowfall "a mixed blessing."

That is, he added, moisture is necessary in the recovery of the winter range, but too much of it could cause deer to starve.

"Right now we're monitoring conditions," added Karpowitz. "In some areas we could do some supplemental feeding. Feeding, though, is not a cure-all. There's no guarantee that if we feed the deer will survive.

"Despite feeding in '83-'84, we still lost deer."

At greatest risk are Utah's deer. Elk are larger and can wade through deep snow more easily. Also, elk will actually move snow to reach food where deer won't. In some cases, deer will move into areas after elk have left to take advantage of their snow removal methods.