Trail Cam Surveys

[BHC]

Working on my first trail cam survey, my question is do buck fawns typically sprout antlers, if so what would be unusually large 3" or 6" spikes, 4pts,6pts? After my first batch of pics my fawn recruitment figure was at 1.01, I know that a trail cams survey on plots is probably screwed toward fawns which is part of the reason for that number. I also know that we have does that are bearing 3 fawns, so is that number possible? I'm afraid I'm having trouble identifying big fawns from small 1.5 yr olds....

 

[Hollar Hunter]

It's definitely harder to tell them apart this time of year. You would get a more accurate count and save yourself some headache if you waited towards the end of summer. Fawn bucks are called button bucks. They generally have 2 nubs on top of their head that still are covered by skin and fur. Sometimes you will see the antlers piercing through the skin though. Generally when they have good spikes or better like a 4 pt their 1.5 years old and no longer a fawn.

 

[BSK]

It is rare to have male fawns with hardened bone antler. If you can see hardened bone antler, even if it is only 1" long, it is probably a very late born yearling buck (1 1/2 years old). They are fairly common in TN.

Fawn recruitment rate numbers generated from cameras over food plots are usually the most accurate of any camera location.