Winter '07-'08
Hello everyone,
Well it’s been a long time since updating this blog. It’s been quite a year for Canada Photo Safaris and as spring approaches it looks like 2008 and is going to be full on too!
As the melting snow seeps away and streams fill with run off, I like to reflect on the winter’s activities, the survival rates of wildlife populations and the general health of the animals during this critical regenerating period. As I write this, I can hear the migrating songbirds that have returned to the feeders outside my office window and the wild turkeys “gobbling” on the mountain above my house, sure signs that winter’s onslaught has come to an end.
Overall, I’d say this winter was moderate to mild throughout most of the northwest. Eastern Canada is certainly a different story and I hear on the news people are still digging themselves out from late season snow storms. Despite having a “la ninia” weather pattern (cold pacific jet-stream from the arctic) this year, snow falls at low elevations were generally low here and this means most ungulate populations didn’t have to struggle overly hard to forage for food. Fawn winterkill rates seem to be fairly low and adult health and condition seems to be fair to good, which should result in good recruitment levels (fawn births) this summer. This year’s local Gilpin winter range helicopter count, by the ministry of wildlife, resulted in the highest ungulate numbers in over ten years. Species counts included whitetail and mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk and moose. We’ll have more data available after our annual deer count in April.
Ongoing winter feeding programs throughout several areas of BC continue to mitigate winter die offs and ensure the good health of fawn-bearing, adult, female ungulates entering the critical spring regeneration period. I have been feeding whitetail deer, mule deer and wild turkeys on my property in Grand Forks for over 15 years and have been actively involved in other local feeding programs for deer and bighorn sheep for just as long. This winter, my program helped to support approximately 20 deer, some 45 wild turkeys and uncountable small bird and mammal species, including at least 1 flying squirrel. I try to provide a variety of feed types to maintain good health and nutrition and limit daily amounts to promote foraging of natural foods and keep dependency to a minimum. Depending somewhat on the supply at the time I generally feed alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets, mixed grain (whole corn, wheat, oats, barely) wind-thrown apples and cull potatoes. I have also provided mineral supplements in the past but find that they don’t use it much until the spring, at which time it is in very high demand, presumably to promote summer coat and fetal fawn growth. During hard winters I have counted up to 48 deer at my feeders at one time! You can imagine that this is can be a considerable expense to myself and Canada Photo Safari’s budget….I think it’s worth it, a wise investment into the future of our wildlife resource.
We did get some very cold spells during the winter. I was photographing bison in northern Alberta with Wendy and Marcus Adams, from New Zealand, in January. The thermometer read -42’!! Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same at that temperature. Despite equipment issues at that temperature we did pretty well and got some fabulous photos.
Hello everyone,
Well it’s been a long time since updating this blog. It’s been quite a year for Canada Photo Safaris and as spring approaches it looks like 2008 and is going to be full on too!
As the melting snow seeps away and streams fill with run off, I like to reflect on the winter’s activities, the survival rates of wildlife populations and the general health of the animals during this critical regenerating period. As I write this, I can hear the migrating songbirds that have returned to the feeders outside my office window and the wild turkeys “gobbling” on the mountain above my house, sure signs that winter’s onslaught has come to an end.Overall, I’d say this winter was moderate to mild throughout most of the northwest. Eastern Canada is certainly a different story and I hear on the news people are still digging themselves out from late season snow storms. Despite having a “la ninia” weather pattern (cold pacific jet-stream from the arctic) this year, snow falls at low elevations were generally low here and this means most ungulate populations didn’t have to struggle overly hard to forage for food. Fawn winterkill rates seem to be fairly low and adult health and condition seems to be fair to good, which should result in good recruitment levels (fawn births) this summer. This year’s local Gilpin winter range helicopter count, by the ministry of wildlife, resulted in the highest ungulate numbers in over ten years. Species counts included whitetail and mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk and moose. We’ll have more data available after our annual deer count in April.
Ongoing winter feeding programs throughout several areas of BC continue to mitigate winter die offs and ensure the good health of fawn-bearing, adult, female ungulates entering the critical spring regeneration period. I have been feeding whitetail deer, mule deer and wild turkeys on my property in Grand Forks for over 15 years and have been actively involved in other local feeding programs for deer and bighorn sheep for just as long. This winter, my program helped to support approximately 20 deer, some 45 wild turkeys and uncountable small bird and mammal species, including at least 1 flying squirrel. I try to provide a variety of feed types to maintain good health and nutrition and limit daily amounts to promote foraging of natural foods and keep dependency to a minimum. Depending somewhat on the supply at the time I generally feed alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets, mixed grain (whole corn, wheat, oats, barely) wind-thrown apples and cull potatoes. I have also provided mineral supplements in the past but find that they don’t use it much until the spring, at which time it is in very high demand, presumably to promote summer coat and fetal fawn growth. During hard winters I have counted up to 48 deer at my feeders at one time! You can imagine that this is can be a considerable expense to myself and Canada Photo Safari’s budget….I think it’s worth it, a wise investment into the future of our wildlife resource.
We did get some very cold spells during the winter. I was photographing bison in northern Alberta with Wendy and Marcus Adams, from New Zealand, in January. The thermometer read -42’!! Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same at that temperature. Despite equipment issues at that temperature we did pretty well and got some fabulous photos.
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