High River and Impact on Season?

[BIG TIMBER]

Who else is going to have there deer/duck season affected by this high river year. I know it has killed our crop this year and there is no chance to replant duckholes since River will have a our holes flooded till end of August. Lots of deer misplaced out of there core area while horns are growing, wonder what the effect on horns will be.?

[TODO]

My club is almost completely under right now. It should be fine as long as woods have time to grow up after water comes off. Deer are pushed across levee into the beans and corn fields so that should be a plus for antler growth.

[GrizwalD]

Ours is completely under beside about 200 acres also.... the 200 acres not under butts up to all the beans in ag fields next to us so hopefully they are hanging out in that small tract of land. WHen it gets like this we stay out of our place and just let the deer do their thing. Should be ok, but you never know until the season gets started good.

[hntrpat1]

Duck hunting is going to suck because there won't be enough time for anything to grow before the frost and the water isn't going to come back up high enough

[SB]

The River will not impact deer. They have lived with since before white man was in North America.

Could help duck hunting. Water falling out late helps with grass production in a natural wetland system. All you need is 60-90 frost free growing days for the wild millets to make a crop. Plenty of time yet.

[BIG TIMBER]

I will have to disagree with you when you say the river does not affect deer. I see it every year. It affects their browse, their summer feeding habits, horn growth, etc. I think the river is one of the main impactors on deer movement and feeding habits, when it's gets this high. As far as the ducks, it's going to be a lot less crops for the ducks to feed on come December.

[DanP]

http://deltawildlife.org/index.php/maga ... on-deer-in

This article is relevant here. From a population perspective, we aren't looking at an impact. However, we are stressing bucks during a critical time and on intensively managed properties I believe this will limit antler growth potential. We ran browse surveys after the 2011 flood and vegetative response was quick. However, we haven't had this high of water this late in the year since the 30s,... Time will tell.

[stang67]

As it pertains to making for sucky deer hunting, that river ain't got nothing on half a county full o' coonasses and a DWFP deer program that has nary a clue. The places that have been doing right will continue to be just fine -- down, maybe, but just fine.

[lilwhitelie]

I would think it would effect the fawn drop the most since it may be dry one day when they are birthed to under water the next. Stress can cause them to delay birth somewhat but I would worry bout the lil ones already dropped. Horn growth would be next since it's stressing them during growth and most clubs have a minimum on beam length etc. Putting a lot of deer in competition for food and displacing them to other places. Maybe it won't impact em only time will tell

[the tree]

Im not a biologist, but I beleive its the Mississippi flood waters that enrich the soils that lead to good antlers. Might have some negative effect this season, but its these floods that make the delta what it is.

[sab316]

We have land right beside the Coldwater River, if the river jumped out and flooded during a portion of the season leading up to or during season. Usually the deer never returned. Low amounts of sign and traffic.

[msbigdawg1234]

Yes you will have some effect but for most part these deer know whats goin on and know where to go to get away from it and will return..cept the ones born in the hills they usually stay..camps in the hills adjacent to the lower land are loving this high water... there were very few deer in the hills around Vicksburg until '73 flood .. the rabbit hunters would hunt hills cause there wasnt any deer to speak of... seeing more deer in my yard this yr than ever before that's for sure

[torch]

I doubt the sand bars will have time to recover before a freeze. Small and some large willows are gone. I need it to drop fast and carry some sand from behind rock dikes. Some of the places I have hunted up the White and Arkansas don't even look the same.

I know some hunting clubs that have lost all food plots due to high water. I'm 53 and have never seen the river this high for the whole month of July. I hope we will have time for something to grow.

[Deltamud77]

When is the river expected to be back "in its banks"?

Edit: The River is only about 19.5 feet higher this year than last year at this time in Greenville.

http://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil/Wa ... GEEM6&dt=S

Good news is that it looks like it is falling pretty fast.

[Bercy]

The crazy thing is that it basically has not rained in a month down here. It was the same during the 2011 flood too - no rain while the water was up.