Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Coors gives hungry deer a lift

By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 31, 2008 at 4:34 p.m.
Updated January 31, 2008 at 4:34 p.m.

Text size  

More More Business

More stories »

The deer going hungry in the Gunnison basin because of deep snow are about to get some help from an unusual source: beer.

Coors Brewing plans to donate more than 100,000 pounds of "spent grain" to state wildlife officials to feed hundreds of deer in the area.

The grain is a byproduct of the beer brewing process. It will be processed into large wafers the deer can digest easily.

Last month, the Colorado Division of Wildlife opted to begin feeding the deer and other big game. It was the first time in years that DOW had made such a move.

Wildlife officials fear the unusually deep snow blanketing the Gunnison basin and frigid temperatures are sapping the animals' energy. The snowpack has made it harder for deer to push through deep, crusted snow to get to natural food sources.

DOW will be dropping the wafers for the snow-bound animals within the next few days, according to a news release from Coors. A second load is scheduled to be dumped next week.

"The recent snows have really put the wildlife in danger," Colleen Reiter, vice president and plant manager for Coors, said in a statement.

Ordinarily, the Molson Coors unit sells about 600 million pounds of spent grain a year to feed Front Range cattle. Coors, based in Golden, said it donated the spent grain to DOW at no cost.

Comments

  • January 31, 2008

    5:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    somebunnyluvsme writes:

    Hey I'm cold and hungry to, how about dropping a few 6 packs in my back yard? Just wait till they find me out there in a snow drift come spring time. Then you'll be sorry you didn't help out! Jut like that crummy DOW, all they care about is getting the deer drunk.Well, you just go on then, cruummy DOW cant beat em, join em.

  • January 31, 2008

    7:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MileHigher writes:

    I love deer, and I love beer.
    Especially COORS!

  • January 31, 2008

    8:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cm3geese writes:

    Dear Pete and the Coors Family.

    Thank You so much for your help with this urgent issue. I traveled through the area on Hwy 50 today and help is desperately needed. I seen atleat 200 deer just off Hwy 50 stuck in snow all the way to their bellies and unable to move. It is a very sad situation.

    Today, January 31 2008. I witnessed the lowest temperature reading on the thermometer I can ever recall actually seeing. -29 degrees on the thermometer without a wind chill. These temps were on Hwy 50 from Cimmeron and through Gunnison on the east side near Sergeants.

    With these two combined situations the herds in the gunnison basin and other areas of colorado (Wolf Creek Area) are in severe need of help to get out of the major deep snow and extreme temps. Yes, Deer are made to survive as described below, but how are we going to build them back up and sustain a good population for the economy? More volunteers are needed to help save our deer. If you can help in anyway please call the Division of Wildlife in Gunnison for further information.

    Guys and Gals, the snow is from the height of the top of a stop sign and ranges down to the height of the top of fence rows in most areas.

    I would think anyone who has a snow mobile and ambition would have fun helping. Too bad we cannot transport some out to areas of lower depths of snow.

    Concerned Colorado Native.

    Wednesday, January 16, 2008

    Rick Kahn, state terrestrial program leader for the DOW
    “Bluntly, deer are programmed to starve to death in the winter, that’s how they get through a winter.”

    Not quite starve to death, but close. Once the snow and cold arrive, deer cannot obtain enough high-quality food to gain weight. Instead, they slowly use their summer reserves all winter long, relying on their reserves and what little feed they find to make it to the spring green-up.

    “As long as there is forage, they’ll stay on their natural food but when the sage gets buried and the snow gets crusted, they are in trouble,” said Ron Velarde, Northwest Region manager for the DOW.

    It’s part of a deer’s make-up to suffer through winter, Kahn said.

    But if you anticipate losing 30 percent of your adult females, that’s a significant, significant loss and it’s time to feed,” Kahn said

    It is past time we need to do all we can.

    Thank You again to Peter and the Coors Family who really do care for Colorado and our wildlife.

    Chris