Columnist: Larry Dablemont

'Outdorrs in the Ozarks'



The week of snow and ice and cold which we had in early December would have been a real killer for wildlife if it had lasted much longer, because ice beneath deep snow makes it really tough to uncover food.

And during very cold weather, wild creatures need much more food than they need during the mild stretch we have had for the past couple of weeks.

The acorns are becoming scarce now, so we are coming upon the lean time of the year, the bottleneck that wildlife species must pass through before the arrival of spring, when there is replenishment and abundance once again. If January and February are mild, and ice is scarce, wildlife survival is good, and reproduction in the spring is much better than normal.

If there is ice and snow and extreme cold, some wildlife species suffer more than others. That’s why bird feeders are so valuable this time of year. I can’t keep mine filled.

Those who feel compassion for wildlife in winter must be careful not to overdo it.

In our region, bobwhite quail suffer more than any other species, and it’s always a temptation to feed them. Trouble is, feeding quail sometimes concentrates them in one place, where they become dependent on the hand-out. Then they are too easily found by predators, especially house cats, and can be wiped out because of that vulnerability.

If you want to feed quail, don’t create a regular feeding area, scatter the food where cover is heaviest, and don’t feed them near a road. Back in the late 1950s, during periods of prolonged snow and ice, the Missouri Department of Conservation gave rural mail carriers sacks of food to put out where they saw coveys of quail. Birds are often drawn to rural roads because they can find grit and small gravel there which they need in their crops to grind up seed and grain.

Most of the mail carriers did their job so well, that in little time, the coveys were there waiting for the feed, and many coveys were wiped out by pot-shooters who couldn’t resist the temptation. The program was ended when one mail carrier was caught with his shotgun, and a sackful of quail in his trunk.

Wild turkey suffer if the ice is heavy, but they have strong legs, and can usually scratch through heavy snow to find food. When they are fed scattered grain in the winter, they are not as subject to predation, but they are just as vulnerable to poachers.

Deer and rabbits are able to survive a hard winter better in our area because of the diversity of food sources for both.

Deer can browse on plants above the snow, and rabbits eat bark when times are hard.

Squirrels may not remember where all the acorns have been stored, but when there is a prolonged period of low temperatures, both fox and gray squirrels go into brief periods of hibernation in hollow trees. They aren’t true hibernators, like the ground-hog and black bear, but they do hibernate for short periods, and survive well because of that.

Along the streams, beavers, muskrats and raccoons can den up during extreme cold and survive long periods without feeding. In northern climates, these species go into long periods of semi-hibernation, but here in the Ozarks, we usually don’t have the length of winter which requires that.

The mink leaves the stream when ice forms, and should snow blanket the surrounding ridges and fields, he is all the happier. One of the most efficient predators, the mink can go anywhere a rabbit or wood-rat can go, and he has an easier time in winter than most other predators. The bobcat, fox and coyote may find weakened and dying wildlife in the winter, but this time of year is no easier on them than it is on the prey species, because they need more food when the cold is intense.

And most of the year, the fox and coyote, and hawk and owl, feed mainly on small ground mammals, voles, mice and rats. When winter hits in full force, many of these underground species will hibernate, and become unavailable. At such times, rabbits and quail are more intensely hunted, and the wild turkey is more vulnerable to bobcats and great horned owls.

There are certain Ozark plants which help small game and birds to survive. Sumac and cedar hold berries above the snow for an emergency food supply, though neither are eagerly sought when other foods are available. Of course, in the Ozarks, the acorn is the most important overall food for wildlife. Almost everything eats acorns, or depends on something that does. It seems that the best way to predict wildlife survival and spring reproductive success is to look at the availability of acorns in the fall and the period of time they can be found.

But if you feel sorry for birds and small game in the winter, remember that cover is just as necessary as food. Leave thickets of sumac and cedar on your land, and create brushpiles around them, and you’ll help small game and wild birds even more than you would by creating a winter feeding trough.