What Can I Learn About My Deer Herd from a Fawn?

Your fawn's herd can give you crucial information about the deer in your hunting area. Have you ever heard about the term "fawn recruitment"? This concept is critical. According to the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), fawn recruitment is the number of fawns per doe that can reach six months old.

In 2014, eight Midwest states took part in a fawn recruitment study. This research provided valuable information regarding deer herd behavior. So, we will explore here some of these hunting-relevant conclusions.

• The Rut Timing

Each year, the rut seems to happen around the same time.

But what do newborn fawns reveal about the rut's timing?

Deer give birth after a pregnancy that lasts between 195 and 201 days. This allows us to determine the date and time of the previous year's "Peak Rut," when a certain doe was bred.

Say we come upon a fawn that looks like it was recently born. We can roughly estimate the time of conception by counting backward from either 195 or 201 days. Many scientists estimate that the "peak rut," or the time of breeding, can last anywhere from seven to 10 days. We also know that a doe's receptive window is between 24 and 48 hours.

Peak rut is our preferred time to go hunting. At this time of year, the bucks actively search for does. Thus, knowing the exact does' breeding season will allow you to make the most of your vacation time!

How can we anticipate this? How can a fawn tell us when the rut is? The answer is quite simple. If we find a fawn that was born on, for example, May 30, and we know the rut happens around the same time every year, we have our answer!

Let's do the math!

Remind we need to count backward from May 30 somewhere between 195 and 201 days. For this species, the height of the rut, or the time when they are most likely to reproduce, occurs between November 11 and November 17.

The seven days before the breeding phase are known as the chasing phase, or the time leading up to the peak rut. According to this logic, the optimal time to be in the stands would be between November 4 and 10.

Therefore, many bucks will probably move around your region this time of year. This is just math and the natural sciences!

• The Herd's Buck-to-Doe Ratio

We already know that doe receptivity lasts 24–48 hours. So, in an ideal deer herd with a one-to-one doe-to-buck ratio, every doe would be bred on its first receptivity.

But, when there are more does than bucks, does might miss their first breeding chance and become receptive 28 days later! How can fawns reveal this about our deer herd?

Most northern fawns are born in late May to early June. Thus, if a doe is bred 28 days after her first cycle, her fawns will be born later. If you find a pregnant does by late June, it may not have been bred during her first receptive cycle.

Does this suggest your area has much more does than bucks? Not necessarily. Still, consider that possibility.

• How Many Predators Are in the Area?

We know that severe winters and predators are the leading causes of death among young deer.

A declining deer population directly results from predation increase, which reduces the number of fawns.

What can we learn from the fawns about what increase or reduce predators, especially coyotes? As we have already discussed, if the ratio of does to bucks in your white-tailed deer herd is off, does may drop fawns during early summer.

If possible, it would be best if all fawns were born at the same time. Why?

As they grow, fawns' survival instincts improve. Accordingly, the young deer have a better chance of making it through the harsh winter. Thus, there would be too many fawns for the coyotes to manage if they were all born at once. Coyotes kill fewer fawns over the course of the following weeks and months.

However, coyotes will seize the situation if your herd is out of whack and fawns are born at irregular periods throughout the season.

As a result, while reviewing early season data and extracting cards from your trail cameras, consider how many fawns are still with their mothers.

If your cameras captured a doe that still produces milk, there is a chance their fawns will survive. But, if you see that many does in your area do not produce any fawns early in the hunting season, you may have a significant predator problem.

Keep these three items in mind while preparing for your summer hunting season. What the fawns tell you about your deer herd may surprise you!

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