MINNEAPOLIS — Snow and subzero temperatures aren't new to deer, but there are some winters during which those things can get in the way of deer thriving.
"Snow depth certainly affects their movements, it also makes them more vulnerable to predation by wolves," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Big Game Program Leader Barb Keller said. "Also, they're not able to get to the forage they would typically try to get to."
Keller said they've already had several reports of deer eating hay meant for livestock out of desperation.
"Normally during the winter months they're just trying to maintain themselves, and really slow down that loss in body weight," Keller said.
Adult deer are also used to it. Typically, winter isn't a bountiful season anyway, however, fawns might run into trouble.
"There are some localized areas where there are some severe conditions and you can expect that the fawn crop is going to be impacted by those conditions," Keller said. "So that will be the first segment affected. If we were to have really severe conditions, then we might see adults be impacted, and adults can be affected by wolves taking advantage of the situation."
Keller said the last time she saw something like this — and to a much more severe degree — was back in 2013.
"That was really over. It was severe conditions over a wide area of Northern Minnesota," she said. "I don't think we're quite there, or near there at this point, it's more of a localized issue in the northern one-third of the state."
Right now, Keller said they are moderately concerned about the deer population in these specific areas, but prolonged severe conditions might lead to some changes for the rest of the year.
"We'll take that into account when we come up with hunting regulations for this upcoming fall, in those areas where we expect that we did have some fawn mortality, we'll probably dial back the hunting regulations or the bag limits that we allow this fall in those areas," Keller added.
So what can you do, whether you're someone hoping for a successful deer hunt this year or a deer lover?
"Just keep in mind if you see some deer, don't approach them, they might be having a tough time moving around," Keller said. "Keep your distance from the deer and try to avoid disturbing them as much as possible."
RELATED: With rain on the way, city crews are clearing out frozen storm drains to keep the water moving
Watch more Breaking The News:
Watch all of the latest stories from Breaking The News in our YouTube playlist: