Michigan’s 2025-26 Upper Peninsula winter was severe enough to leave a mark on the deer herd long after the snow disappeared. The Michigan DNR recorded 111 days when the U.P.-wide average snow depth was at least 12 inches. The agency classifies a winter as severe when that threshold lasts 90 days or more.
That duration matters because deep snow limits food, makes travel harder, and forces deer to burn the fat reserves they built before winter. DNR biologists found extensive signs of starvation during field examinations earlier in 2026. Fawns and already-weakened animals are the most vulnerable, and malnourished does may produce fewer or smaller fawns.
What the DNR is watching now
The department uses the federal Snow Data Assimilation System, known as SNODAS, to track average snow depth across the U.P. Its July 9 bulletin said six of the past nine U.P. winters had been classified as severe. It also reported that snow from the March blizzards lingered in some areas into mid-May.
WLUC reported on July 10 that the DNR was still monitoring the herd and did not yet have an exact population count. Wildlife biologist Brian Roell told the station that the effects were expected to be greater in the northern U.P. and that fewer deer would likely be seen on the landscape. That is an informed outlook, not a completed herd census.
Wintering complexes remain part of the response. Dense cedar, hemlock, and other conifer cover can reduce the energy deer spend moving through snow while nearby habitat provides browse. The DNR works with landowners and local partners on habitat projects, but the full effect of one severe winter can take more than one season to measure.
Read the original records
- Michigan DNR: Another severe winter hampers U.P. deer herd, sent July 9, 2026.
- WLUC: DNR tracking deer herd after historic winter, published July 10, 2026.
- Watch WLUC’s report on its official YouTube channel.
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How this story was reported
Editorial methodAggregation
Accountable editor:Keegan O’Brien, publisher and editor.
Last verifiedJul. 22, 2026
Corrections statusNo material correction note is recorded on this article.
Verification note: Local proposal checked the central claims against the Michigan DNR's July 9, 2026 bulletin, WLUC's July 10 report, and the exact official WLUC YouTube identity on July 22, 2026. The copy avoids an exact herd count because the cited reporting says one was not yet available. The proposed article contains no image or embedded video.
Primary sources
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Showcasing the DNR: Another severe winter hampers U.P. deer herd — Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Published Jul. 9, 2026. Accessed Jul. 22, 2026.
Official agency bulletin. Proposed copy paraphrases its facts and does not reuse its images.
Additional reporting
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DNR tracking deer herd after historic winter — WLUC
Published Jul. 10, 2026. Accessed Jul. 22, 2026.
Copyright 2026 WLUC. All rights reserved. Use as attributed reporting only; do not reproduce its article text, photos, or footage.
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DNR tracking deer herd after historic winter — Upper Michigan's Source | TV6 & FOX UP
Accessed Jul. 22, 2026. Publisher retains copyright. Standard YouTube player use is technically supported, but no download, rehosting, thumbnail copying, modification, or independent commercial-republication permission is established..
Supports: Exact source-video identity. YouTube oEmbed identifies this exact title and publisher channel.
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