Can I mow?

[Specializedjon]

I remember the topic come up recently. Is it safe to mow my back field and not kill/displace fawns?

Asking for a friend who doesn't know anything about owning land or whitetail deer birthing patterns

 

[Jcalder]

They're birthing now. I'd be more concerned with running one over than I would be displacing them as they'll hide in the places you can't get, and I've seen them hide in the open woods as well.

 

[Spurhunter]

You've shown interest in turkey hunting. It is a terrible time to bush hog as far as turkey nests go.

 

[Patrick H]

If you decide to mow between now and mid July, it has been suggested one walk the field carefully immediately before mowing to flush any Turkey polts and fawns

 

[Specializedjon]

All good advice. I'm gonna wait. Not need to, just wanted to to keep the grass down. I've got lots of mama's on the property. I'm sure they're using the tall grass (about 3')

 

[Rakkin6]

If you can hold off I would, or be very careful has fawns and nests are very prominent now.

 

[Creek bottoms]

I wait until around the fourth of July. Fawns will get out of the way by then. They sit tight right now or the first part of June and you'll kill them. I don't see active turkey nests then either.

 

[Hduke86]

I'd wait, we would always let our Labrador "explore" beforehand cause he wouldn't chase or attack deer or turkeys but would bark and stay put so that lets us know. I've walked right up on numerous fawns

 

[Specializedjon]

Last night I glassed the field and saw two doe that looked like they were gonna pop and one doe bedded down with what looked like a tiny head of a fawn. Appreciate the advice guys. It woulda been bad if I mowed last weekend like I wanted to. I'm a little A.D.D. when it comes to overgrown field I'm gonna let'r ride until mid July.

 

[DaveTN]

Translation: Jon doesn't want to mow, but can now tell the wife "We don't want to kill a bunch of baby deer…do we?"

 

[Rakkin6]

Translation: Jon doesn't want to mow, but can now tell the wife "We don't want to kill a bunch of baby deer…do we?"

Hey if I told my wife I would run over baby deer she would be in front of the mower in the heat of August making sure I didn't. She was born in Greece but raised in Chicago so she loves watching the animals on our property in the morning drinking her coffee on the porch. She loves deer meat so she like my hunting but she doesn't want to see how the sausage is made.

 

[Rakkin6]

This one actually plays with them. She runs up and down our privacy fence when they are next to it eating. And they either pay her no mind or sometimes they run with her up and down playing along.

 

[Specializedjon]

Translation: Jon doesn't want to mow, but can now tell the wife "We don't want to kill a bunch of baby deer…do we?"

DING DING DING......WINNER WINNER!!!!!

Exactly right Dave

 

[Specializedjon]

This one actually plays with them. She runs up and down our privacy fence when they are next to it eating. And they either pay her no mind or sometimes they run with her up and down playing along.
View attachment 137570

Beautiful dog. Pit/Boxer mix?

 

[backyardtndeer]

Unfortunately you could wait until later and still hit a fawn. I hit one raking hay several years ago, in July. Front tire rolled over the fawn when I was turning at the end of a row, no way I could see it. It was still alive, and holding its head up, but was not able to stand. I called the game warden, he came and got it, said he was going to take it to a wildlife rehabilitator.

 

[Rakkin6]

No she is 100

Beautiful dog. Pit/Boxer mix?

No 100% boxer she just has huge ears.

 

[Specializedjon]

There she is. The "I've been chasing deer, I'm tired" look made her head look a little "Pit". Sweet girl.

 

[Rakkin6]

She hates squirrels though she wants to eat them, I took her squirrel hunting 3 times this year and she actually did good with no training minus chasing squirrels in the yard and I took a squirrel tail and drug it through the yard letting her chase it.