Trees and Bushes Winter Food for Mammals
Text and photos: Vello and Tiit Keppart
Translation: Liis from forum
Shoots of shrubs, bushes and trees are winter food for elks, roe deer, red deer
Evidence of roe deer feeding on aspen branches at end of February. Photo: Tiit Keppart.
After a long time there is once again real winter: the snow cover has stayed until the end of March. Damage in forest plantations and fruit orchards becomes apparent just in late winter-early spring: as the snow melts, it is found that mice have been nibbling on the bark under the snow.
Bark eaten by mice on root suckers from aspen. Photo: Tiit Keppart.
If in winter hares mainly feed on last season’s growth – shoots, then in March they go for the bark on trees and bushes.
Apple shoots eaten by brown hare. Photo: Vello Keppart.
Rodents in the mice and vole groups seem to begin feeding on bark when their winter food stores run out, or are lost with melting snow and ice.
In March the brown hare has already stripped the apple trees thoroughly. Photo: Vello Keppart.
Read more:
Poom, H. Rüüsteretk noores viljapuuaias. [Plunder foray in young fruit orchard] — Targu Talita, 13, 26. märts 2009: 198-199. Available at http://www.maaleht.ee/2009/03/26/aiandus/5824-ryysteretk--noores-viljapuuaias.
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