New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

And the freeze goes on.

Friday 03/11/2005

It seems like everyone you talk to has the same question "When is the winter ever going to end?" This morning started off at zero degrees and has not warmed much with through mid morning despite the full sun. We have not had a day above the freezing mark going on three weeks save for the brief rain on Tuesday that quickly turned into the worst snow storm of the winter. My yard is buried under snow blown to three feet deep or more in places.

How the birds flock to my several feeders when I fill them with food each morning. Juncos, house finches, jays, chickadees and starlings are feasting to stave off the 30 degree below average temperatures. Spring is but a wishful thought at this time.

I did get over to the coast last evening as I gave my Golden Years lecture to a group of nearly 30 folks at the New Covenant Sportsmen's Club. Actually the meeting room filled with families. A very enjoyable evening. Deer tracks were evident on the back roads I took from the office over to the coast just before sunset. Deer seem to be moving quite well as the snow doesn't seem to impeded them yet. It is pretty much the case whereever I drive in Region 3 and has been all winter. While this is the worst that winter has thrown at us this year it still hasn't kept the deer from feeding and moving freely. It seems like I am seeing more random deer tracks this winter all over the place. My sense is the deer herd is doing very well here in Region 3. But if this harsh weather, especially any more accumulating snows arrive and lasts into April it could quickly begin to erode the deer numbers. Deep snow in April is death to deer.