[Mikey]

The deep snow and frequent storms are hard on some of our wildlife. It is impressive how some of the higher altitude critters survive through the winter. I think Blue Grouse stay at the higher altitude, sometimes in large old growth firs, eating available vegetation. Deer and elk have it pretty rough in deep snow and so the cougars and coyotes will do OK as will smaller predators. Some years ago I can remember hiking up the snow-covered PCT north of Snoqualmie Pass in May-June after a deep snow year and it was silent; no birds, no Pikas, just snow. I can recall hiking in the Spring into river bottom areas where the smell of dead elk and deer hung over the alder and vine maple thickets. A Chelan newspaper recently reported the deer are doing OK in that area, something about there not being crust on the snow which hinders finding grass and cutting the deers' legs. Wash State Wildlife folks feed elk, etc at the Oak Creek and Mt St Helens locations. I am guessing that there are substances that deer and elk can digest because there are locations (wildlife ranches, zoos) which routinely feed deer and elk. http://wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/wintfeed.htm http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=apr2606b http://www.nachesvalleychamber.com/info/elkfeeding.html

[peltoms]

I will be curious to see how the Mountain goats fare. They seek bare south facing hillsides, of which there are none now.

[meandmyaussies]

I saw several elk near Rattlesnake Lake/Ledge last weekend, mostly likely driven down there by the heavy snow.

[BeyondLost]

It is possible to feed deer and elk (although most individuals who try do it wrong and may acutely kill). http://www.king5.com/animals/news/stories/NW_010808ANB_deer_feeding_KC.4588884.html Wildlife biologists question the wisdom of routine winter feeding, however. I certainly am no expert, but one of my sons is a wildlife biologist who worked at the U of Montana (Missoula) doing research involving whitetail deer so I heard a lot about this. This article from that period is from an interview with another worker in that field and summarizes the findings. The concept remains pretty much unchanged today. It seems humane to feed but may be bad in the long run. http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/reso/toughlov.html

[treeswarper]

Feeding of deer can cause them to gather together more and hang out and form deer gangs.....(joking) it is blamed for the spreading of chronic wasting disease in dose herds in Wisconsin. But dose are white tail rats... Grouse like to hang out in the mistletoey D-firs. Elk like to hang out in our gardens and yards year round. We like to eat elk so this works out ok. I saw a possum yesterday. He looked well, like he was in a bad mood. I guess they can snarl pretty good.

[Mikey]

Elk project aims to save animals from starvation Seattle PI Feb 9, 2008 We came down this morning and saw them eating hay out of the back of the truck," said Brian Calkins, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's wildlife area manager. "They're hungry." One of the coldest, snowiest winters in years coupled with an overpopulation of elk on Mount St. Helens has sparked winter elk feeding on the mudflow for the 2nd year in a row. Fish and Wildlife is feeding hay to about 400 elk a day there. Mark and Dawn Smith, owners of the nearby Eco-Park Resort, also are feeding elk on their 90 acres along the North Fork Toutle River. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_elk_starvation.html Saving starving elk NEAR MOUNT ST. HELENS - Harsh winter weather has put hundreds of elk at risk on a Washington state wildlife refuge near Mount St. Helens. Now, a local man is doing what the state seems reluctant to do: stop elk starvation near the mountain. http://www.katu.com/news/outdoors/14525087.html WDFW to begin winter feeding for Mount St. Helens elk Jan 16, 2008 http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=jan1608a

[Dslayer]

From my observations of the deer herd I watch in the winter in the Umptanum, Lower Manastash and Clemens-we are entering the critical period. Heavy snowfall compresses deer into their wintering areas-there's lots of feed, though, bitterbrush, etc, but by this time of the year, it's been hit pretty hard. In February we start to get a little bit of a green up as the snow melts on the S. facing slopes which brings out a little grass but also the 'rebound' begins as deer begin to wander back into the areas that are being exposed, taking the pressure off the areas that have been browsed the hardest. The thawing/freezing cycles have made the snow hard, making it harder for deer to get through it. Last week's warm up was a start, a little more ground was exposed, but no green up yet-and no 'rebound,' the snows still very deep the farther west you go. If it stays generally warm, I think they're going to be okay. There were a lot of young deer in the Umptanum and Clemens, despite the losses of numbers in the 300 units, lots of fawns and yearlings, and they'll be in trouble if we were to get more snow or got through another cold spell like the one of two weeks ago.

[mpaul_hansen]

RE: elk @ Sun Valley ID - feeding discontinued... Wonder if there are any Wildlife managers reading this thread. Perhaps they can provide input on pros & cons .....