Fawns

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Mike Belt

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Lakeland, Tn.
I'm seeing bookoos of does with single, pairs, and triplet fawns here around the house in SW Tn but 85% of them are still small and full of spots.
 
I'm definitely seeing more fawns, but honestly, many appeared to have dropped a little late. Not a big difference, but a difference.
 
But with the poor acorn crop experienced in my area last year, a later rut by a week or so was probably a reality.
 
As I understand it, that's one of the things that make whitetails so adaptive. They breed from early fall to early spring, spreading their fawn drop across the entire summer, rather than all at once. Come hell or high water some of those fawns will survive to reproduce. Not one catastrophic event will eliminate the entire crop. Every year we hear about rut activity in late summer when bucks should be losing velvet, then hear about rut activity in spring when they should be shedding their antlers. It's not illogical to assume that if they're rutting, breeding is occurring.
 
Although it is true that breeding/fawn drop has been documented during nearly every month of the year, that is just Nature at work. Nature gets around to trying everything. This allows Natural Selection to take place. Those fawns dropped at the optimum times will have the highest chance of survival and to pass on any unique breeding timing that is genetically linked. This is how unique optimum breeding/fawning times develop in individual locations. For example, peak breeding in July/August works best in the Florida Everglades. Peak breeding in September is best for the coastal Carolina region. Peak breeding in December works best for southern TX. Peak breeding in early November works for the northern tier of states.

However, having breeding spread out over a long time period in one location is definitely NOT good for the deer population, especially in regions (most of their range) where predators that focus on killing and eating fawns predominate, such as coyotes. In those regions, Nature has developed the process of "prey saturation," where the highest percentage of the fawn crop for that year all hit the ground about the same time. This allows predators only a brief period to eat defenseless fawns and reduce the total fawn crop.

Bucks displaying rutting behavior in late summer is simply due to the surge of testosterone their bodies produce to shed velvet, and in spring, to start the new antler growth process.
 
They're running around everywhere here. One set of twins and 4 singles. A couple have almost lost all their spots and one single could walk under its momma and don't look more than 3-4 weeks old.
 
Does where molting into their winter grey coats as of Sept 9-10 in my area. Fawns were starting to molt out of their summer spotted coat as well.
 
I know here in Nashville I'm still seeing alot of fawns that have plenty of spots on them still. I almost want to think its because of the high ratio of does to bucks. If deer carry for 7 months it's not unheard of breeding going done in February. I always see alot rut activity from muzzleloader into rifle. Last year I hunted a park the 2nd week of Dec and had a big buck still breeding a doe. Warm winters mess with eveything..
 
Mike Belt said:
I'm seeing bookoos of does with single, pairs, and triplet fawns here around the house in SW Tn but 85% of them are still small and full of spots.
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Same here in Houston Co. One of my cameras had 1400 pics on them in 30 days and 95% were does and spotted fawns. Lots of fawns! Some pretty small for this time of the year I believe.
 
BSK said:
But with the poor acorn crop experienced in my area last year, a later rut by a week or so was probably a reality.
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Speaking of acorns this year, it appears to be spotty on my property. I noticed the trees that have them they are dropping already and the deer are coming out at dusk to hammer them.
 
SJS said:
Speaking of acorns this year, it appears to be spotty on my property. I noticed the trees that have them they are dropping already and the deer are coming out at dusk to hammer them.
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Wow, in my part of Humphreys we're going to have a bumper White Oak crop from Hades. One of those "walking on ball-bearings" years. The reds are a bit more spotty, but still a decent crop.
 
I had eleven in my yard yesterday. All does and fawns except one 5 pointer who is a mommas boy evidently. Three of the does had their grey winter colors on already. Fawns are almost spotless except one runt
 
Is this doe still pregnant?
 

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tree_ghost said:
Man that's crazy! Do you normally see a trickle style rut in areas where breeding is spread out across 5-6 months?
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A few does are bred early and late in all environments. That's Nature "trying everything," or more accurately, the randomness of Nature. That "randomness of Nature" is how evolution takes place.

Even in areas with the best herd dynamics possible, only 95% of does are bred within the perfect 5-6 week period. There is still 5% that will be bred at odd times.

My place has an extremely short and intense rut, yet I used to photograph the same doe every year still pregnant in late August.
 
My new farm is above 100% fawn recruitment (every 2.5yo or older doe has a least 1, and many have twins). The population was VERY low on that farm when I bought it 3y ago. I've since added 12acres of fall and summer food plots. It's really paying off.

My main hunting farm is a little better again this year for recruitment. About 20%. We ran 20% last year as well, but that was preceeded by 5 years of 10 to 15% fawn recruitment.

And the 2 farms I referenced above are only 10 miles apart! That goes to show you it is impossible to 'blanket' manage a state or even a county.
 
megalomaniac said:
My new farm is above 100% fawn recruitment (every 2.5yo or older doe has a least 1, and many have twins). The population was VERY low on that farm when I bought it 3y ago. I've since added 12acres of fall and summer food plots. It's really paying off.

My main hunting farm is a little better again this year for recruitment. About 20%. We ran 20% last year as well, but that was preceeded by 5 years of 10 to 15% fawn recruitment.

And the 2 farms I referenced above are only 10 miles apart! That goes to show you it is impossible to 'blanket' manage a state or even a county.
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Interesting and encouraging report...thanks for sharing....I don't have percentages to report for our property's but I will say there are several Mama's with twins and several with singles....seems to be a great fawn recruitment.
 

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