Record snowfall in northern Maine leaves deer herd in deep trouble

Here.

Excerpts:

DIF&W officials estimate that in the hardest-hit areas, where the snowpack is still 4 to 6 feet deep, roughly 30 percent of the deer herd won’t see the snow melt.

Fawns, yearlings and weaker females will likely account for the vast majority of the mortality, with two or three age classes perishing in some areas. Pregnant does that survive the winter may lose their fetuses after months of starvation or give birth to malnourished fawns with scant chance of survival.

This season’s high mortality will ripple through the deer population for years to come.

"If you had a snow year like this every year in northern Maine, you would not have deer," said Lee Kantar, DIF&W’s lead deer biologist.
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Nor is Mother Nature exclusive in her wrath.

The snow is so deep in many parts of northern and western Maine that even long-legged moose are finding it hard to get around. Once again, the youngest and smallest of the species — calves and yearlings — will likely suffer the most as the deep snow prevents them from reaching food and the extreme cold saps away precious energy.