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can deer predict weather?
Topic Started: Jan 5 2014, 11:32 AM (923 Views)
Posted Image dobber
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Team Ontario Trophy Bucks

Curious as to what others saw and think about this, but it sure got me thinking this winter so far.
The deer activity was much slower this year, the deer we did take were so full of fat it kind of made sense that they didn't need to be moving to feed as much. So the question I am asking is do you think the deer had a "6th" sense that got them to put on the layers of fat before this bitter cold weather hit us?

Based on the amount of fat on the deer this year over previous years and the cold weather we are getting, there seems to be a link, or is it just dumb luck

Were the deer in your area holding more fat than previous years?
Do fat deer equate to healthy deer going into the winter?
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Posted Image Archer Ontario
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Archer Ontario, Kingston Ont

Well this year every apple tree was loaded with apples every bush and tree was full of food for wildlife so animals didnt have to go far to eat.
But to answer your question i think animals can predict weather as they feed before a big front comes in . I have followed this to some extent some days you see alot of deer some days you see nothing . Yes deer can predict weather IMO look at your weather forcast and i always try to hunt before a front moves in over the years i have seen more deer during this and have seen lots of animals during this time. Another time i find extremely good is in fall during a rain deer move like crazy where i hunt during a rain . I think there is something a 6 th scence so to say but there is something
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Partikle
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It was a wet warm summer last year. I think there was just lots of food for them and it worked in their favour this winter.
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Renegade
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Deer can sense changes in weather for sure. They live in the elements 24/7. They have a good sense of atmospheric pressure changes. The rate of change and direction of change can tell you a lot about the coming weather systems.
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Posted Image dobber
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Team Ontario Trophy Bucks

I am more talking about months in advance
Are the deer carrying more fat because we had a wet summer or did they pack it on to counter the current cold temps, the summer wasn't a normal weather pattern, and this winter certainly isn't either so coincidence or planning
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Renegade
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dobber
Jan 5 2014, 01:39 PM
I am more talking about months in advance
Are the deer carrying more fat because we had a wet summer or did they pack it on to counter the current cold temps, the summer wasn't a normal weather pattern, and this winter certainly isn't either so coincidence or planning

I'm not inclined to believe deer can sense long range weather. I think they try to pack on the fat as best they can every year going into winter. This year was the year of plenty in many areas of the whitetail range.
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Posted Image Archer Ontario
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Archer Ontario, Kingston Ont

Same here Rene we still have apple trees today with apples still on them it's crazy it was a bunker year for all the woods to produce a mast crop the 2 deer we harvested were fat really fat the big doe I shot had the most fat I had ever see on any of the deer I had ever shot
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Shane
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I still don't know what happened this year ? Deer numbers down , wolves etc ? What ever happened the deer that were around didn't do anything normal at all . They sat and kept movement to a minimum . The fat they had showed they were packing it on . I have gutted many bucks over the years and for the first two weeks in November the bucks this year had the most fat I've ever seen .

We have had some long stretches of cold weather this winter , tomorrow for example it's supposed to be -60 with the wind chill
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Posted Image dobber
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Team Ontario Trophy Bucks

another thought, due to the type of weather we had in the summer was it that way because of the upcoming winter?
kind of a give and take
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Posted Image Mattones
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If cattle can why not deer :)
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swamp donkey
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I asked this same question to myself 2 weeks ago as i was skinning a deer.i have never seen so much fat on a deer from ontario like the one i shot. The only deer ive seen with fat as thick were ones from saskatchewan. On another token, the bull moose that we shot, had minimal to non existant fat on it. So i would have to say no, they dont have the ability to read the forecast months in advanced, but what do i know :D
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I think they can, along with many other animals , beavers for example
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Posted Image Sam Menard


I agree with Rene that deer can sense changes in atmospheric pressure which can alter their short term habits e.g. feeding heavily during daylight prior to a storm. I'm not convinced that their body condition is an indication of weather to come, but is a result of the abundance nutricious foods that was available leading up to the fall.

SAm
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