Is there any truth to this comment?

[Creeping Death]

I found this comment while researching why Jimmy is getting picks of a doinky "nubbin buck" in mid-July.

"As you know, when the rut kicks in, does come in season for only a short period of time. About 2 weeks for the entire herd to complete it's estrus cycle. Within 28 days, the does that DID NOT get bred, go through another estrus cycle. This is called the secondary rut. If you are seeing "large" numbers of spike, button or nubbin bucks, your deer herd is out of balance and does need to be thinned. These small bucks are from the does that did not get bred until later in the year and are born late. If a doe does not get bred in the primary or secondary rut, she will continue to come into estrus until she is bred or she cycles out. Culling does shortens the number of unbred does in the primary rut, increases the browse for the entire herd and basically produces a healthier herd all around!"

[Diehard]

In essence, yes. However, late born fawns can be the result of several factors.

1) they could be from does that were not bred during the normal rut (as in the quote)
2) they could be the offspring of a doe fawn that came into her first estrous late in the winter, resulting in a late fawning the following summer. This would indicate that the doe fawn was in very good condition.
3) there are always outliers. What I mean is there will always be does that cycle earlier than normal and there will be those that cycle later than normal. It is just natural variation in the population. Bucks can breed any time they are in hard antler. So, fawns could be conceived any time between September and late spring. That is a long time period!

I would have to be seeing this on a regular basis before I assumed there were too many does or that the herd was out of balance. I would also want to see what the rutting activity was like in the area.

[Creeping Death]

That makes sense. Much appreciated.

[Phil1979]

Thanks for the info