Awfully late for fawns

[MCgunner]

Here we are in mid July and I'm still seeing spotted fawns. It just seems rather late for such things. We had a bumper crop of acorns last season, sorta messed up the hunting since the deer could eat anywhere and they LOVE acorns it seems even more than clover. I'm thinking the acorns might have messed up last season, but those well fed deer sure dropped a lot of little ones. We got deer crawling everywhere! But, the late fawns have me puzzled, just never seem 'em dropping in July in the heat before.

Thoughts?

 

[VThillman]

Maybe another response to climate change. It would be the 'freshening' happening late that caused the late fawns, eh?

 

[Flintknapper]

Here we are in mid July and I'm still seeing spotted fawns. It just seems rather late for such things. We had a bumper crop of acorns last season, sorta messed up the hunting since the deer could eat anywhere and they LOVE acorns it seems even more than clover. I'm thinking the acorns might have messed up last season, but those well fed deer sure dropped a lot of little ones. We got deer crawling everywhere! But, the late fawns have me puzzled, just never seem 'em dropping in July in the heat before.

Thoughts?

I would agree that 'most' fawns are on the ground by Mid June in MOST of the State, but consider that Texas (where I live) is a big State and Whitetails in South Texas generally 'rut' later in the year than the deer in the rest of the State. Even so, most fawns in South Texas will have arrived before August.

Not knowing your geographical location, it might be quite common to see what you are seeing

Another thing to consider is the size (apparent age) of the fawns you are seeing. As you are no doubt aware.. they remain 'spotted' for quite some time (several months, where I am). So unless these 'fawns' are obviously new born, you will need to account for their estimated age...which should indicate their true birth month.

Whitetails have a gestation period of roughly 200-205 days, so estimate the age of the fawns.....add that to the gestation period and count back that number of days. Does that roughly coincide with peak rut....or late rut in your area?

 

[Captcurt]

A lot depends on the age group of your deer and the buck to doe ratio. Here in Northern Arkansas we see the rut running from early October into February. If the buck to doe ratio is off many does do not get bred their first or second estrus. Plus, yearling does coming into estrus for the first time are usually late in the season. Last year I had a big fawn in the yard in May. It looked large enough to be 1 or 2 months old. Momma must have been bred in September. Later in November I saw a pair of fawns that still had spots.

 

[Laphroaig]

All of our fawns up here are still spotted. For some reason the deer were out yesterday evening and I saw a bunch while driving. I didn't think that was unusual.

Also remember that nature produces births throughout a range of times to ensure some will survive in case something bad happens within a certain time frame.

 

[Sunray]

Don't think it's too late for seeing spotted fawns. At least not up here. Might be in Texas. The rectal orifi have been watching does in a local bone yard birthing and stealing the new born(literally) just last month. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Woodland-Cemetery/114778915292939

 

[MCgunner]

I would agree that 'most' fawns are on the ground by Mid June in MOST of the State, but consider that Texas (where I live) is a big State and Whitetails in South Texas generally 'rut' later in the year than the deer in the rest of the State. Even so, most fawns in South Texas will have arrived before August.

Not knowing your geographical location, it might be quite common to see what you are seeing

Another thing to consider is the size (apparent age) of the fawns you are seeing. As you are no doubt aware.. they remain 'spotted' for quite some time (several months, where I am). So unless these 'fawns' are obviously new born, you will need to account for their estimated age...which should indicate their true birth month.

Whitetails have a gestation period of roughly 200-205 days, so estimate the age of the fawns.....add that to the gestation period and count back that number of days. Does that roughly coincide with peak rut....or late rut in your area?

We do have way too many does. This county has hunting does by permit, only, which to me is kinda stupid because few around me own the minimum 50 acres it takes to qualify for 2 doe permits. The local Wildlife Management Association hands out doe permits to folks trying to get some does culled. You can legally take a doe in bow season, one reason I took up the crossbow.

Our deer, at least for the five years I've been here and according to a neighbor that shares the back fence, rut in late bow season. They're done with the heavy rut by gun season in November. That's another reason to bow hunt.

The excess doe count would make sense, I reckon. Hmmm..... Oh, I'm in Colorado county near Sheridan half way between Hallettsville and Eagle Lake.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Keep in mind that the issue isn't that they are "dropping them in the July heat." and these animals don't work on calendar time. They don't know what month it is and they can't choose to birth before it gets too hot. When they do birth is determined by when they breed. While most will be born in June, there is going to be variety. I still have them with spots at my place in north Texas. The latest I have seen them with spots is early September. Part of how the species survives is by not all doing the same thing at the same time.

 

[der Teufel]

We're still seeing fawns with spots here in Central Texas. They're not tiny. They're obviously a couple of months old, I'd guess. They keep their spots for a while.

 

[sage5907]

I'm not an expert on deer fawns but over the years I have picked up on several pointers. In Oklahoma the rut usually starts about a week after the hunters moon. The hunters moon being the full moon in November. So our fawns are born after the 1st of June which is a little over 6 months later. Middle of November until the 1st week in June (201 days). That's not to say all of the doe are bred at the same time so the birth cycle could be spread over several weeks. The yearling doe being the last ones to give birth. I would be interested to know if the south Texas deer are on somewhat the same schedule since they are looking at the same moon.

 

[MCgunner]

Keep in mind that the issue isn't that they are "dropping them in the July heat." and these animals don't work on calendar time. They don't know what month it is and they can't choose to birth before it gets too hot. When they do birth is determined by when they breed. While most will be born in June, there is going to be variety. I still have them with spots at my place in north Texas. The latest I have seen them with spots is early September. Part of how the species survives is by not all doing the same thing at the same time.

Now, don't tell me they don't read calendars. I'm convinced they're on line. They go to the TPWD web site, find out when opening day is, then sleep all day every day until season ends.

 

[Captcurt]

It is not unusual to see spotted fawn through the summer. They don't loose their spots until they get their winter coats.

 

[huntsman]

We had does dropping as late as mid-June here in Ohio, I think second estrus and young does are why.

 

[Flintknapper]

This Doe has a fawn that is already about a month old. So it was most likely born around the 1st of June.

Late May and the month of June will account for most of the births in my part of Texas.

The shame of it is….this doe probably had TWO fawns to begin with.

 

[buck460XVR]

It is not unusual to see spotted fawn through the summer. They don't loose their spots until they get their winter coats.

^^^This, at least around here. Come early bow season in September, you can still faintly see spots on the coats of some the the year's young.

 

[Captcurt]

^^^This, at least around here. Come early bow season in September, you can still faintly see spots on the coats of some the the year's young.

They are hard to hit but they are very tender!

 

[entropy]

I've also seen two sets of triplets; either that or the does are doing some babysitting. The spots are fading already up here; I drive home at dusk some nights from work, and the deer are out and about in numbers! Lots of sandhill cranes, and far too many turkeys!

 

[JackSprat]

I've not noticed them being early this year,and like other have said they keep their spots for a long time,but if they were born late,then that would mean the does were bred late for some reason..

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'm in Maryland, and this past week I've seen two fawns that I'd estimate were not a month old yet..., That would put their birth in mid to late July. Been in the community and hunting here for two decades and have never seen them that young this late before. Weird, but a DNR biologist said sometimes if the doe didn't breed in November then during January sometime she may again be in season..., so maybe that's why???

LD

 

[Patocazador]

Here in Florida the rut takes place almost year round depending on where you are. The rut in south Florida happens in the summer mostly but deer in the tropics can come into heat anytime. Around my area the rut can start in late Oct. in my county but not until Feb. in the county just south of here. The FWC lately has tried to set the seasons to coincide with the rut in that area. This year the bow season in So. Fla. opened on July 29th and the deer season is open somewhere in the state until Feb. 18th.

All of this means we can see spotted fawns for a long time during the year.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

They are hard to hit but they are very tender!

I call them "vealison".

 

[MCgunner]

I'm in Maryland, and this past week I've seen two fawns that I'd estimate were not a month old yet..., That would put their birth in mid to late July. Been in the community and hunting here for two decades and have never seen them that young this late before. Weird, but a DNR biologist said sometimes if the doe didn't breed in November then during January sometime she may again be in season..., so maybe that's why???

LD

See, this is what I was thinkin'. I was thinkin' there's so danged many doe to the bucks here, there may just be too many doe to all get bred during the traditional rut in October (usually in late bow season here). I'm going to make an effort to kill a mature doe in bow season when I can do that legally.

I trapped a spotted deer 3 days ago in the hog trap. It was young, but probably about 3 months old judging by its size. I've seen smaller ones recently. The deer was freaked out, but unhurt when I let it out. I'm hoping it learned its lesson about that trap.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I've seen several fawns on trail cams on my folks place as well as another area I plan on hunting. My question is this though....is it taboo to shoot a yearling? I mean I know they would taste amazing but is it worth the tag? It doesn't seem like it would yield much meat to me.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I've seen several fawns on trail cams on my folks place as well as another area I plan on hunting. My question is this though....is it taboo to shoot a yearling? I mean I know they would taste amazing but is it worth the tag? It doesn't seem like it would yield much meat to me.

I'd pass on that small a deer, but the deer where I am are so thick that the limit is TEN doe....10. So I have a pretty good chance at something bigger. don't know about your area. The yearlings, I don't think stray far from a group at that age, so may give you a good indication where the more adult deer are clustered as well. Of course that doesn't help you secure a mature buck if that's what you want. I prefer doe for meat, and I try not to harvest the really mature buck in my area as he seems to like to push his does into the area where I hunt..., and he really helps to make more deer in the same territory.

LD

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Wow, a 10 doe "limit"... That would fill the freezer.
I haven't seen 10 deer total in the section where I hunt over the last two seasons. We had an EHD outbreak a few years back that hit the NE region pretty hard.