Road Kill

[Musky Buck]

Kinda an ugly topic I guess, but I've been driving for 16 years my route which is 120 miles 1 way so 240 combined. I was just thinking I can see why doe permits are very limited this year, I have been seeing well actually not seeing hardly any deer on our roads which isn't a bad thing either I guess but way, way, way fewer deer than I used to and also noticing way fewer deer hit on the roads, overall are you guys noticing this as well ? I'll add that my route has been and is through what used to be the 5 deer areas just 2 seasons ago and I drive a lot that hour before dark to the first hour after dark or so. Maybe they are not near the roads yet as much like when they start chasing does etc. etc. but in those first 10-12 years I had the cruise control on and foot ready on the brakes at all times and had many near misses, last night I was like have I even seen a deer crossing the road since mid-August when I started driving the route again ?

[harvey lee]

I have noticed some deer along the road ditches. I guess I have never kept track of just how many from year to year.

I know in my trips to North Dakota along the interstate in the past month I have seen about the regular amount of deer carcasses.

I would guess in the next month, those numbers will increase with the corn harvest going on and the rut in a month or so.

[fishermatt]

Seems like the deer pop is way down to me also. I have been Grouse hunting in Koochiching county for about 25 years, and drive from OT county to Kooch county around dark or after dark. This last weekend we didn't see one single deer the whole way! 5-10 years ago we would have seen in the hundreds, grazing along the ditches on Hwy 71 and crossing the roads everywhere. Now there's nothing. Maybe it's been too warm to get them out feeding heavy?

[bogwalker]

All the highways I travel are the same, no deer at all or an occasional loner.

[harvey lee]

Maybe different areas are better than others or the north took a harder hit than central or southern Mn.

Just a thought.

[bogwalker]

I sure hope it is not that bad everywhere.

[dustin85]

I have also noticed less dead deer on the road. Maybe if the numbers are lower we will see more deer of larger size in the near future.

[nonteepical]

your not seeing as many deer because of all the intensive harvest in the past, it did what it was intended to do.

[hockeybc69]

I hadnt even thought about it, but my travels from the Twin Cities up to OTC over the past month, I have seen exactly ZERO dead deer along the entire route.

Now with that said, I cant honestly say that I know for sure if in the past I have seen dead deer with frequency this time of year or what. But it does spark some thoughts.

[paceman]

Although there are less on the road I think the warm weather did affect there travel some but I saw 3 dead on the road yesterday morning. I think we will see more and more as the season progresses.

[Bear55]

it did what it was intended to do.

That might be true in some areas but there is plenty of evidence of the DNR handing out too many tags across many different areas of the state.

[motley man]

The deer population is down around Motley due to increased tags & wolves. I know of one landowner that has 120 acre's and they took 20 deer few years back and now they don't see many. Same with all around the area. Not good management by the state or landowners. DNR didn't do a very good job of research in the areas they gave all tags out in. Forest and farmland are totally different. They will come back with new limits, but it will take time. Don't pay farmer's for lost crops if they are not going to let anyone hunt the deer that are eating their crops. Good crow crop this year will help the young deer. Fill those doe tags and let bucks reproduce. This does not mean to let all the bucks go just don't shoot all bucks on your property as this does effect population growth. Years ago I remember seeing 20 deer in herds in wintertime, now only 6 to 12.

[Musky Buck]

I agree with lots of standing crops and warmer weather but isn't that normally the case during many autumns ? I can see why my route is a 2 tag area for sure. I basically crisscross Ottertail,Wadena,Todd,Morrison,MilleLacs,Kanabec and Isanti counties and back again the last drive thought man I never even gave a thought to possibly hitting a deer tonight. I am thankful they are not all over the road and I'm not seeing the blood spots/hide/etc that you usually see but way fewer hit on the road. This will change soon as they will be moving more in the upcoming weeks. The deer are very nocturnal in my areas already, maybe it's the October funk and moon phases or whatever but on 1 farm haven't seen a deer, not a 1 before nearly complete darkness and the other farm the opening weekend of bow season saw some and not a 1 since ? It wasn't so many years ago we'd see deer almost every night before dark feeding along. Anyway, there are still plenty, hope for the best.

[BLACKJACK]

I've been driving the same 30 mile route every morning for 10 years in Kandiyohi county and I'm still seeing plenty of deer!!! After awhile you get to know the spots where you better slow down and be prepared to hit the brake. Yesterday morning I was slowing down for two deer on the right side - when one pops out of the ditch on the left side!!

On a side note, this morning I had to slow down and evade skunks in 3 different spots!!! Is it skunk mating season??!

[SartellMN]

On a side note, this morning I had to slow down and evade skunks in 3 different spots!!! Is it skunk mating season??!

Based on the smell coming from the people walking out of the dive-bar next to my office, YES!

[CANOPY SAM]

There's no question this is a regional thing. Probably related to too many doe tags in some areas.

In our region we've got deer all over the place. Lots of does with twins.

[CANOPY SAM]

We've also had a really high number of road killed skunks in our area. They must be doing well. Makes me a little nervous everytime I let the dogs out after dark.

[Musky Buck]

I have set personal records on skunks, 11 since Sept. 1st, add in 2 raccoons trying to kill the chickens, 1 wandering oppossum trying for the cat food dish, but last night had believe it or not roughly 15-20 coyotes going nuts in 5 different packs/groups or whatever, I called everyone in the area and told them, they repeated the same thing and said there dogs were going ballistic, it was insane, never have heard that many separate groups before, usually a group or two but wow. The road kill numbers will be going up shortly on deer, saw a large 12 Pt. dead on the highway 2 mornings ago, so sad as it was near my uncles and they do go/grow so there went a buck they had likely let alone as well as others and he met a bumper death but that's the way it goes.

[mabr]

Musky, does anyone hunt those yotes around you? I have strong belief that they are one of the major forces why were not seeing as many deer in certain areas. Even more so that the liberal tags we used to have or the extended season lengths.

Ive no proof but all the experts say they can be real hard on fawns. Your in Ottertail right? I gun hunt an area in Douglas that has lots and lots of them. I know we havent been hard on the does in our area or the bucks for that matter. Only 4 deer taken by our party of 6-8 in the last 3 years. Weve got somewhere in the 6-8 hundred acres we hunt and Iknow what is taken around us and its not alot. Not compared to the late 90's to early 2000's where everyone at least got a doe. Our herd should be coming back by now and they're not.

I really think the yotes are doing alot more damage than most think.

[Musky Buck]

Could be mabr, I just am blown away outside each night what it sounds like, it isn't a few here or there it's a ton of em everywhere lately, why so many in one area ? Did all that water/rain/etc move them out of areas they once inhabitated more? Wouldn't they rather spread to other areas or are they heavy there to ? Winter time people get after them with hounds but it seems more like one here and one there, but maybe this winter there will be a ton of em I don't know. I would think the mange will get at em sometime soon. Hopefully, the rifle hunters will pull the trigger, I'm thinking a lot of them will be spotted, if it won't wreck your hunt please blast em. 2 counties in particular Ottertail but what a massive county and the other is Kanabec.