February Survival

Description of the Day, 2/22/20:

  • Sunny
  • 50 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Little to no wind
Figure 1. Phenology site February update image. Jolie Scott (2020).

Tracks Found

As I was stepping through the snow I noticed very clear white-tailed deer tracks. I found more tracks the farther I followed it, suggesting the presence of multiple deer. In the winter, deer typically are less active and find shelter predominantly under coniferous trees to protect them from wind and possible predators. During the day and the night deer typically are either slow-moving or resting in a warmer area like under the trees (Tufts, 2018). Deer are browsers so their diet typically consists of twigs, grasses, available plants, and support these with high-calorie foods like fruits, nuts, and mushrooms. Sometimes they dig under the snow to get to food, but they don’t need to. Predators of deer include humans, black bears, coyotes, and eastern bobcats. If wolves are around, they are also considered a predator of white-tailed deer (White-Tailed Deer).

Interactions with Tracks

The primary interaction I noticed with the deer was that they crossed the stream I followed the tracks to. I noticed they continue on the other side of the water which means the deer jumped over the water despite it being a challenge for a human to jump. I followed one set of tracks and found interactions with another set that led into a different direction the more I followed it. This shows that the deer peacefully interacted with each other and went their separate ways. I also noticed different tracks that followed a galloping formation.

I believe that the deer interacted with each other because the tracks looked as though they were made at the same time. They were both the same depth as well. I know the snow had been variable the past few days so it would be easier to tell if they came at different times. However, it is possible the deer did not interact with each other and instead came at different times during the same day. The strongest evidence to support this would be the tracks crossing. If they were interacting it doesn’t seem likely that they would’ve crossed each other. Either theory is possible though.

Figure 4. Deer interaction documentation with stream. Jolie Scott (2020).

Phenology Changes

The main character I noticed during my visit to my site was that the snow was slushy. The day I visited was about 47°F, sunny, and low in wind. On my walk through the woods to track my deer, I noticed that the snow was much deeper than I expected, about halfway up my shins. I followed the trail to a small stream and found the water to be very muddy. It was only clear on the shallower edges and the water flowed faster than usual suggesting the warm weather was melting a lot of the snow cover and contributing to runoff into the stream. A lot of dead or brittle plants stuck up through the snow, there were many fallen branches and snapped twigs. The plants were withered and dull. I found there to be a lot of overlapping tracks of humans, dogs, and deer. I found more wildlife signs than I expected to and especially since last time which may have been because of the warm weather that day.

Phenology Notes

Figure 5. Image of phenology notes on February 22. Jolie Scott (2020).

Sources

How do deer survive harsh winter weather? (2018, January 30). Retrieved from https://now.tufts.edu/articles/how-do-deer-survive-harsh-winter-weather

White-Tailed Deer. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/vermont- critters/mammals/white-tailed-deer

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