When doe fawns breed, it's a good sign

[BowhunterNJ]

Interesting article on the QDMA site:

 

https://www.qdma.com/articles/when-doe-fawns-breed-its-a-good-sign

[Rusty]

Good article.

 

With the bumper crop of acorns this year I would expect a higher percent of fawns to reach 80 pounds and be bred this winter.   

[BowhunterNJ]

Yeah I never realized there was a "recipe" persay for the breeding of yearlings. That is interesting it has to do with their weight. And agreed, with the amount of acorns out there, these deer should be packing on the weight this year. They haven't had to burn much with these temps...maybe sweated off a few pounds! haha

[Matty]

I've always liked to see how nature has ways to self-regulate to an extent.

 

The way I see it, this is natures way of replenishing a population that is below the biological carrying capacity. If the available nutrition is plentiful enough to allow fawns to reach breeding weight, they also birth a fawn or two, increasing the population faster.

 

Sadly I would assume the stresses of pregnancy cause these doe fawns to have higher winter mortality rates. Along with their late born fawns the following winter. (when the winters are bad) 

[not on the rug]

I haven't read the article yet, but perhaps the deer numbers will bump up a little bit this year due to the massive acorn crop and the mild winter we are having so far. At least we can hope...

[jakesbeard]

How much snow they will have to battle and the advantage it gives to the yotes will also be a factor in it all.

[Axiom]

interesting... Always knew Yearling does could breed, seen it a time or two around the house in early January.... but, fawns having twins?.... the thought never occurred to me..

[Rusty]

How much snow they will have to battle and the advantage it gives to the yotes will also be a factor in it all.

 

 perhaps the deer numbers will bump up a little bit this year due to the massive acorn crop and the mild winter we are having so far. 

 

We have had low bear totals and rough winters for 3 years now.  Let's hope that a mild winter, an abundant acorn crop, and a good bear harvest will let the herd bounce back a bit.  

[smoking gun]

I seen bucks chasing this year's fawns in November after the first week of November then last Saturday in seen 2 chase a big doe one I grunted in and missed lololololol that's the best missing first buck I've missed with a bow in a few years hey you can't always win.they should be chasing again by the end of dec.the past 2 seasons I've seen them chase Dec 29th to be exact

[Rusty]

If this young doe is any indication then body weights are way up this year.   

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2015 by Rusty

[smoking gun]

I've seen quite a few button bucks this past week that were probably 60 to 70 lbs already.theres still alot of honeysuckle and tea berries in some spots alot of foliage still we've had a mild fall so far I think one day of frost if I'm not mistaken in the southern part of the state