March 10, 2019: Everyone's Hungry

There is some pretty serious snowpack on the ground this March, some of the deepest we get and certainly the most since the banner winter of 2014-2015.  And we're getting another 3-5" today.  It makes for a hard winter for all the animals.  When there is deep snow the deer herds usually stay in their deer yards - thick groves of evergreens, typically hemlock - which provide them protection from weather and predators, and where they collectively trample down the snow for ease in travel.  And they probably yarded-up early this year since we've had snow on the ground since November, so by now they have consumed all the food in and around their yards, and have to look elsewhere, expending precious energy and making them vulnerable to attackers.  That's a guess as to what happened to a deer over by Lake Winnisquam last week.  I was skiing on the north end of the lake when I spotted something on the fresh snow that looked unusual, so I went over to take a look.

Spine and skull of a white-tailed deer

I've seen this several times now - coyotes drive a deer out onto the ice where they keep harrassing it until they tire it out, and then take it down.  This kill site was about 75 yards from the western shore;  the deer probably came out of the Chemung State Forest.

Kill site off the west shore of Lake Winnisquam

The skin and fur had been completely removed and placed nicely in a pile.

I was surprized to see some organs left behind - I would have thought these we would prime delicacies for the animals, but they must know these particular parts are not edible.

I don't know what they are.

All the tracks in the snow indicate how many animals were nourished by this deer over the past couple of days.

It must have been a very recent kill as it was on top of the snow we just got, yet the carcass was already picked clean.

Which means the eagles, hawks, and crows have been getting their fill as well.  I found it interesting that the spine had been dragged some 100 yards from the kill site.  Also, there were no legs to be found;  these were probably dragged away by various coyotes to hide and consume in private.

Kill site at lower left, fur pile towards center; arrow points to spine

Hunger is driving a lot of animals at this late point in a hard winter.  I've had lots of reports of barred owls hanging around people's homes and bird feeders looking for birds and squirrels, including from someone on Meredith Neck who said their owl comes almost every day.  Male owls have to do twice the level of hunting at this point, as they need to bring food to their mate who is now staying on the nest.

Reports of bobcat sightings are also increasing, and our local cat came by a couple of times this week.

Lynx rufus

He dug around under the feeder a bit, probably following scent of a squirrel, but came up with nothing.

Following a scent

This shows their large, furred-feet, designed for walking on deep snow

After a short visit he went on his way, creeping along on top of the snow, sniffing here and there for signs of life.

And even with those large paws an occaional foot broke through the snow.  I uploaded some videos you can watch  Cat1, Cat2, Cat3, Cat4  which show him poking around the edges of the woods and then heading off onto to the lake.  But he circled back later and just sat and watched and waited.  I never saw if he got his meal.

The elusive prey

As much as the squirrels can drive us crazy, they are such in important part of the food chain for so many animals that I don't mind if they fatten up on our bird seed - as long as they stay on the feeders we put out for them and don't destroy the bird feeders!  After all, they too are hungry in this long, hard winter.

Last week in the Hamlin Conservation Area