Went up to deer camp today to scout for some planned bow hunting next week. We got 30 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday so camp is now snowmobile access only unless you are feeling spry and want to do some snowshoeing. Took my wife and our oldest granddaughter along for some tobogganing on the "big hill" - has a 300 foot vertical where the property drops down into the river bottom and is where i taught my kids to ski and snow board.

Heading out:



Off grid cabin:



Foodplot:



Busting trail through the bush. Stepped off the machine and sank in to my crotch:



Got done what i needed and will be heading back up next week for some whitetail bow action.

How do the deer move in that?

On the river bottom there are thick stands of white cedar and hemlock that have a very dense almost interwoven canopy. This canopy catches and hold up to 75% of any snow that falls and the result is the snow on the ground on these parts of the property is only 8 or 10 inches deep after 30 inches falls. The deer will congregate (yard up) in these areas where they can move around and subsist on cedar and hemlock browse. The other phenomenon that occurs in these areas is a microclimate created by the thick overhead snow canopy. Daytime temps are not that different but on cold clear nights it can be up to 20 degrees warmer under the canopy allowing the deer to burn far fewer calories to stay warm.

Properties that don't have these stands of cedar and hemlock become deer deserts when there is this much snow. Properties that have these stands like mine become magnets. It's one of the reasons i bought this place all those years ago. In some areas deer will migrate 30 or 40 miles once the snow exceeds a certain depth to reach prime yarding areas.

At the back edge of foodplot in the second photo you can see where the cedar bush starts along the river bottom. In last photo where i am busting trail i am trying to get to a spot at the edge of the cedar where i know they will pop out to hit my corn bait. Managed to get to within 30 yards of where i wanted to put my bait pile but had to hump the last 30 yards on foot as there would have been no way to turn around.

Does the snow melt off occasionally or is it like this until spring?

Do you have moose or caribou in your area? Any other game besides deer or bear?

There will be occasional thaws and it would be an unusually severe winter for the snowpack to be over 3 or 4 feet for more than a month at time but it does happen once in a while and results in significant deer winter kill. Over 20 to 24 inches for the whole winter is not unusual though and is enough to keep them yarded for 2 or 3 months. No caribou but there are moose - just about impossible to get a tag though in this area - could reasonable expect 1 or 2 moose tags in your lifetime. Bear and deer though are no problem tag wise. I know i have posted pics of my place on the lake - deer camp is a different property that is optimized for deer, turkey, grouse and snowshoe hare. My lake place is where i hunt bear, ice fish and cut all my firewood - although i have taken the odd bear at deer camp when the opportunity presents.

Good luck!

Good luck Keep us updated on the hunting.

I will say, that looks like cold to the bone hunting to me

Fascinating stuff. Thanks for sharing the views of your world. 'Helps balance out the news stories of bat-crap crazy Canadian city folk that filter down here!

Wow man, that’s hard hunting !

that looks like a great time to me. Cousin has a cabin in Wisconsin sure wish I could make it up there this year.

Nice camp.
Good luck

Heading up at noon tomorrow for an afternoon bow hunt in the climber. Forecast is 14F with 20 mile winds. Wind direction is favorable and should have them in the vicinity of my climber. Hand another 10 or 15 inches of snow since Sunday so will be riding the snowmobile again. I am first and foremost a meat hunter so anything legal that comes in range is going down.

Good luck