County Left Rattled After Dozens Of Dead Deer Pop Up Along Train Tracks
Photo is not from story. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Residents of Kittson County, Minnesota have recently been unsettled by the sight of numerous dead deer appearing along railroad tracks in the area.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), about 100 white-tailed deer have died after being struck by trains in a stretch running from Thief Falls to the Canadian border. Officials say the incidents were linked to a corn spill from a train. While such spills are not unusual, they can attract deer onto the tracks where the grain is scattered.
When trains approach, deer often attempt to run down the tracks rather than move off into the deep snow beside the railway. This behavior can put them directly in the path of oncoming trains.
Steve Porter, a deer farmer and former sheriff of Kittson County, shared video on his Steve Porters Trophy Whitetail Facebook page showing groups of deer gathered along the tracks where the corn had spilled. Porter said someone from Holt had sent him the footage and that it appeared corn was spread across the rail line.
Porter explained that he has been receiving calls for weeks from people reporting dead deer along the tracks. At first, one caller told him about three deer that had been struck by a train. Soon after, he began hearing more reports, suggesting the number of incidents was higher than normal.
While deer being hit by trains does occur, Porter said it is unusual for them to be feeding directly on railroad tracks during the harshest part of winter, when food is scarce and animals are already struggling to survive.
He added that there is little that can be done once the animals are drawn to the grain, calling the situation unfortunate. Many people in the area care deeply about white-tailed deer, he said, noting that residents often feed them, plant food plots, and enjoy watching them.
The Minnesota DNR reported that conservation officers have had to euthanize a number of deer that were severely injured near the tracks, with the total in the teens. However, the agency said it has not observed a higher number of dead deer this winter compared with previous years, suggesting the situation is not entirely unusual.
The DNR measures winter conditions affecting deer through its Winter Severity Index (WSI), which runs from November 1 through May 31. A score of 50 or lower is considered mild, 51 to 119 is moderate, and 120 or higher indicates severe conditions. Factors that influence deer survival during winter include snow depths exceeding 15 inches, the age and sex makeup of the herd, population density, and competition for available food.
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