?? Fawn Question??

For your more seasoned deer hunters.
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caretaker
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Location: rufe miller cemetery east tn.

?? Fawn Question??

Post by caretaker »

How late do doe drop fawns? I was up at I B Ugly`s a couple of days ago and this mature old doe came by and was leading a small fawn. This fawn looked not be more than a couple of weeks old. It wasn`t no bigger than a beagle. Still had it`s spots. That fawn couldn`t have stood more than 16 to 18 inches. We had seen that doe a few times and just thought she was a plump ol doe. Never thought she was pregnant.
I`m just here for the girl`s wet teeshirt and mud wrestling contest.

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sdw
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?? Fawn Question??

Post by sdw »

I know if a doe doesn't get bred during the rut, usually she will go into heat again a second time (I think about a month later). So, some could be dropping a month later than others. I believe their gestation period is around 200 days. Our rut where I hunt is usually the first week of January. That means one could be bred as late as the first week of February. Add 200 days to that and we can see them dropped as late as the 3rd week of August.
BSK
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Re: ?? Fawn Question??

Post by BSK »

Although the local rut on my property is not only early (peak being around Nov. 12-20), but also tight and short, for years I had an easily identifiable doe that wouldn't give birth each year until late August. I would get early to mid-August trail-cam pictures of her each year still VERY pregnant.

Many factors influence the estrus timing of individual female deer with genetics being one of those factors. I strongly suspect this late-bearing doe was genetically programmed to do so.

The localized focusing of a hereditary/genetic trait through the process of Natural Selection is a function of how critical that trait is to survival and reproduction. If having any variance in the trait means certain early death, then no individuals with that variation live to pass that variation to later offspring. However, if a given trait is simply advantageous, then variance is certainly possible, but most individuals will be near the norm. This is the case with estrus timing in the MidSouth. Having fawn dates fall near a given mean date is advantageous, but not a matter of life and death, hence wide variations will be seen and passed on to later generations. However, in the far North, birthing dates are critical to winter survival, hence little variation can be passed on.
"Know where you stand and stand there" Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan

"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into" Jonathan Swift
BSK
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Re: ?? Fawn Question??

Post by BSK »

caretaker,

In the Southeast, breeding in white-tailed deer has been observed during every month of the year. "The rut" just occurs when it does locally because the birthing dates produced are advantageous. However, our winters generally aren't cold enough to kill fawns born at other times of the year.
"Know where you stand and stand there" Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan

"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into" Jonathan Swift
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