BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 11, 2026
Many people want to help deer survive Maine’s harsh winters and assume putting out food is the best way to do that. But feeding deer can sometimes do more harm than good. What deer truly rely on to survive winter in Maine is high-quality winter habitat — dense conifer forests known as deer yards. They depend on thick stands of cedar, hemlock, fir and spruce for shelter and winter food. These forests also create shallower snow conditions that allow deer to move more easily, reach food and evade predators such as coyotes. For landowners who believe they may have deer wintering habitat on their property, intensive harvesting should generally be avoided when possible. Instead, lighter harvests removing 30 percent or less of the stand can help maintain canopy cover while improving forest health. ~ David Irving, licensed forester