Wild ungulates including deer, elk, and moose face significant welfare challenges during harsh winters, with mortality rates determined by body condition entering winter and snow conditions.
Winter is the welfare test for wild ungulate populations — animals that entered autumn in good condition with access to appropriate habitat typically survive; those that entered winter depleted or in poor-quality habitat experience progressive starvation, weakness, and ultimately death. From a welfare perspective, severe winter die-offs represent significant population-scale suffering. Management decisions about hunting harvest, predator management, and habitat quality all influence winter mortality outcomes. The welfare cost of high-density populations is paid most acutely in harsh winters.