Ides of March

Dear sir:
In response to Gord Pyzer’s column, “Winter shaping up to be a killer for deer,” that appeared in last week’s Fort Frances Times.
Well, the killer of deer in winter conditions such as we are experiencing now is the month of March, when the weather moderates enough to melt the surface of the snow during the day but then it freezes up again when the sun goes down.
That creates a crust on the surface, enabling wolves and dogs to run across the top while the deer will sink through it, thus slowing them down if they’re being pursued by predators.
Having been weakened from the long ordeal of winter’s wear, the deer are very vulnerable. Thus, it boils down to the heavy accumulation of snow as being their downfall and not necessarily the frigid cold as speculated.
Another thought occurred to me that the deer are aware of this difficulty in advance and will prepare to cope with it to the best of their ability. We have lived on Bass Lake Road (Heronry Lake) since 1984 and had yet to see deer in our yard until three weeks ago, when a buck, doe, and two of last year’s fawns made their presence and more or less hung around the place.
We threw apple, potato, and other peelings out for them, which they consumed in short order.
We also bought two bales of hay and salt blocks from Emo Feed and now have kept them here for their safety—as well as our own personal enjoyment as having wild game around the premises is a welcome commodity.
I also read in the paper that snowmobile clubs are having their problems, too. Well, they could get back on track with the help of government grants to aid the deer under these adverse conditions by dropping bales of hay along the snowmobile routes where deer signs are more plentiful.
Because they will need the strength to cope with the “Ides of March,” when survival is at its most dangerous level.
Signed,
Michael J. Baranowski
Nestor Falls, Ont.