Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: huntnfmly on July 05, 2020, 03:44:57 PM

Title: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnfmly on July 05, 2020, 03:44:57 PM: Hello All. Daughters are doing archery deer for the first time was curious if does are done dropping their fawns during early season?
Thanks for the info
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: fowl smacker on July 05, 2020, 03:52:55 PM: Most should have dropped or are dropping now. Tons of fawns around our place right now.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnfmly on July 05, 2020, 03:54:56 PM: Thank you for info.
Glad to hear there are alot of fawns
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnnw on July 05, 2020, 09:36:26 PM: dropping fawns in September? majority of deer born are around the 1st week of June. Normal gestation is 205 days
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: Curly on July 05, 2020, 09:44:02 PM: We've had fawns around our place for several weeks now.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: Remnar on July 05, 2020, 10:07:10 PM: They are definitely all "dropped" before then . But depending on the area/species you are hunting there can be some awefully small and dependent fawns still trailing does that time of year ( first part of september) .

Use your own judgement .

:twocents:
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: nwwanderer on July 06, 2020, 02:58:06 AM: Spots usually gone by then, have rarely seen little ones in August
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 05:07:23 AM: Shoot a doe that has fawns and the fawns most likely will not survive their first winter. So, you are killing three deer with one shot---most likely.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnnw on July 06, 2020, 05:44:37 AM: Quote from: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 05:07:23 AM
Shoot a doe that has fawns and the fawns most likely will not survive their first winter. So, you are killing three deer with one shot---most likely.

that is only true up until about August a deer is fully capable of surviving on its own after that
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: Onewhohikes on July 06, 2020, 06:18:47 AM: A yearling that is left to survive by its self during the first year of life has less than a 10% chance of survival. That yearling has not learned the lessons of survival from predators. Yearlings are sought after by prey 85% of the time which is why they have the highest mortality rate.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnnw on July 06, 2020, 06:32:58 AM: plenty of studies out there on orphaned yearlings that were orphaned during hunting season and its not 10%..hell I must be watching unicorns. I have watched many yearlings that mom got hit by a car, shot etc and they all did fine and returned next spring. I have sat in stands into mid december and watched more lone yearlings show up by themselves than I could count.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: Jpmiller on July 06, 2020, 06:56:52 AM: Anecdotal but my old man shot a doe on his place in mazama that had two really really young fawns. He didn't start seeing them with her until mid July. I saw the two fawns when I was over there hunting a month later. Both hung around most all winter and the next fall I killed one of them during bow season and now I no longer have a second thought about a fawns ability to survive the winter without mom.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: Bango skank on July 06, 2020, 07:05:33 AM: Im sure theyd be better off if the doe wasnt killed, but they should be weaned and capable of survival. Same with bear cubs in the fall (not spring) season. Losing mom isnt a death sentence.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 07:21:13 AM: Quote from: huntnnw on July 06, 2020, 05:44:37 AM
Quote from: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 05:07:23 AM
Shoot a doe that has fawns and the fawns most likely will not survive their first winter. So, you are killing three deer with one shot---most likely.

that is only true up until about August a deer is fully capable of surviving on its own after that

If the doe gets shot in sept. the fawn has no one to follow- no teacher to know where to migrate, what food to change to after everything dies off- ( browse-grazing plants). If they are lucky enough to join a group of other deer the orphan ALWAYS eats last. The orphans are chased by the other deer away from the food source. By themselves they have no other deer to watch or alert them to predators and only three months experience surviving...and that is with a doe watching over them. The orphans have very slim chances of surviving on their own...some do...most don't. I say these thing from experience. I live with deer 24/7 365. I watch them every day. I have two orphan mule deer fawns here right now..Luckily one of the other does with a single fawn has adopted them. They were only 8 days old when they lost their mother...older fawns have little chance being accepted. Nature can be cruel. It's hard to see an orphan wither away to almost nothing in the winter and then disappear altogether. I've seen it many times. Kill a doe with a fawn..Most Likely kill the fawn too.
My observation from living with them for 17 years.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: huntnfmly on July 06, 2020, 11:40:30 AM: I wasn't thinking about shooting does with fawns but was asking because where we are going is 3point or antlerless and was worrying about them shooting a doe and then having it still have it's unborn fawn.
Thank you for all the info
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: hunter399 on July 06, 2020, 12:33:24 PM: Quote from: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 07:21:13 AM
Quote from: huntnnw on July 06, 2020, 05:44:37 AM
Quote from: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 05:07:23 AM
Shoot a doe that has fawns and the fawns most likely will not survive their first winter. So, you are killing three deer with one shot---most likely.

that is only true up until about August a deer is fully capable of surviving on its own after that

If the doe gets shot in sept. the fawn has no one to follow- no teacher to know where to migrate, what food to change to after everything dies off- ( browse-grazing plants). If they are lucky enough to join a group of other deer the orphan ALWAYS eats last. The orphans are chased by the other deer away from the food source. By themselves they have no other deer to watch or alert them to predators and only three months experience surviving...and that is with a doe watching over them. The orphans have very slim chances of surviving on their own...some do...most don't. I say these thing from experience. I live with deer 24/7 365. I watch them every day. I have two orphan mule deer fawns here right now..Luckily one of the other does with a single fawn has adopted them. They were only 8 days old when they lost their mother...older fawns have little chance being accepted. Nature can be cruel. It's hard to see an orphan wither away to almost nothing in the winter and then disappear altogether. I've seen it many times. Kill a doe with a fawn..Most Likely kill the fawn too.
My observation from living with them for 17 years.
I Agree with buckcanyon 100%
I would also add after reading all replys that there is a big difference between a fawn and a yearling.
Yes they can survive,but a hard winter rolls in they will die.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: nwwanderer on July 06, 2020, 01:29:45 PM: Huge variation with species, location and age. Whitetail in easy habitat, not a big deal. Mule deer in the middle of a move, migration, a very big deal. Late born fawns of all species at a much higher risk every day. Many whitetail yearling will cycle and breed late, those fawns are at a much higher risk. Are you in wolf country or out in the middle of a few thousand acres of garbs and wheat? Too many variables to make a valid yes or no.
If she has triplets in a deer poor area let her walk, she is to big of an asset to take.
Title: Re: Deer dropping fawns
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on July 06, 2020, 06:01:48 PM: :tup: