[Comments in brackets are by Jeannine and Duane]
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From the Northern Crew:
Greetings from the North!
The past week has been difficult to say the least. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain have made trapping nearly impossible. We’ve had to keep our traps tied open most days and even keeping the bait exposed has been a challenge. The deer have not shown much interest in them and I’m thinking they have moved to sunnier hillsides to take advantage of the warmth and less snow/ice accumulation.
Mixed precipitation coupled with falling temperatures have resulted in frozen traps that won’t close properly when triggered. Then, of course, there are the fallen trees across our access roads. Having said all that, we did manage to collar one adult doe last week.
This week looks drier, but very cold with high temperatures not breaking 20F until Friday. We hope to get some more traps set and see some increasing deer activity as the weather settles. Stay tuned and wish us luck.
Til next week,
-Tom
Northern Crew Leader
PA Game Commission
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From the Southern Crew:
Hello all!
Welcome back to another successful week here in the southern study area! Over the last seven days we’ve managed another 4 captures, including a double (doe and fawn) in a Clover trap! We finally collared two adult does this week rounding out our demographic of deer in this region.
There have been a few more unique sightings over the past several days- it’s always a treat to be able to experience the diversity of Pennsylvania’s wildlife species, especially first hand! Right before a storm we spotted what I believe to be a red-shouldered hawk and a barred owl. At our Clover trap sights we’ve had another bobcat and fisher, along with our usual accompaniment of chickadees, squirrels, and racoons.
There’s been a fair amount of deer interest at the Clover trap sites, which has seemingly been heightened due to a layer of ice that’s now glazing most of our snowy areas. That ice of course comes with its own set of difficulties, but the whole crew is soldiering through with flying colors. We’re continuing to prepare rocket net sites and have noticed a group of what looks to be mature antlerless deer in the area. Our forecast is calling for some cooler night temperatures next week, so please keep your fingers crossed for us!
Here’s hoping for continued luck and for everyone to stay warm while enjoying the winter!
-Michaela
Southern Crew Leader
PA Game Commission
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