Earlier this week, the Weyburn Police Service advised that a large number of wildlife, deer in particular, are making their way into city limits.
Wildlife ecologist with the Government of Saskatchewan, Leanne Heisler explains the strange behaviors often observed in wildlife in the winter, saying while winter can be tough, some animals thrive.
“There's a number of factors that play into whether a winter is particularly severe or not, and that might differ depending on the species that we're talking about. Deer, moose, and pronghorn might have extreme temperatures affect them negatively. However, some species might do fairly well with an example being Meadow Voles.”
Thanks to the deep snow, meadow voles are well insulated from the cold temperatures, meaning their population numbers are increased. Meadow voles are also a food source for predators such as hawks, coyotes, etc.
One common theme across most animals is that travelling in the snow is much harder. Both predators and prey have to waddle through the deep snow to find shelter and food which makes survival that much harder. Heiser says that because deep snow can make travelling harder for animals, so they may move in towards town.
“They might have a harder time moving through that snow, making them more vulnerable. Overall, we do see mortality among some of our game species (deer, moose, pronghorn, etc.) and we do see animals that can’t find cover, move into towns, urban centers, and acreages especially if we have deep snow or extreme cold events.”
Certain animals will travel great distances in search of better living conditions. Pronghorn are considered a migratory animal because due to their small stature, walking through the snow is incredibly difficult so they’ll move into warmer areas. Other animals are more built for the cold such as deer, moose, elk, and coyotes. They either have or form a thick coat to help protect from the harsh environment.
However, the severity of winters can make the most prepared animals fight for cover, which can move into cities, towns, farmyards, and more. Hiesler says these animals will take any advantage they get, and to exercise extreme caution if you spot an animal roaming through town.
“If wildlife can find and figure out a good source of food or shelter, in an area that’s not a lot of pressure they will certainly take advantage of that. I would like to remind folks that while feeding wildlife seems like a good idea at the time, they can become reliant on it and may be more used to human contact which can be dangerous.”
If you spot wildlife in an area that they’re not regularly in but don’t seem to pose an immediate public safety concern such as deer wandering near town, you can report it to the General Inquiry Line for the Ministry of Environment at 1-800-567-4224.
If there is an immediate risk to human safety, such as a severe animal attack, call 911 immediately. If you spot wildlife that you believe is an immediate public safety concern, such as a cougar, bear, or moose within an urban area, report it to the TIPP line at 1-800-667-7561.
Farmers with wildlife causing damage to their agricultural products such as grain bags or livestock or if anyone spots a wild boar, they can contact the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation at 1-888-935-0000. Visit the Government of Saskatchewan’s website for more information regarding living with wildlife, such as mitigating damage, reporting dangerous wildlife encounters, and information on animals you could encounter.
A version of this story was originally published on January 26, 2025: Why do wildlife roam into town in winter?