Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

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Dewey
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Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:20 pm

In the last few days I have noticed a large increase in road kills specifically last years fawns. This happens every spring when the doe becomes agressive to her offspring and drives them away from her fawning territory. When this happens the year old deer often wander aimlessly without momma and many end up as roadkills.

With a whitetails gestation at 195-200 days I would think right now would be very early for does to be dropping their fawns already. I guess I was wondering if since the winter was extremely mild could this possibly shorten the gestation period some? Everything else is 4-6 weeks early so I thought maybe this could be possible as well???

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby PLB » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:09 pm

I wouldn't think so...They would have been bred in early Oct... I would think maybe it's a change in home range or different food source. I think when things green up in the spring deer are on the move more. The nicer weather gets them up on their feet too. Plus it is turkey, season and there are more people tromping around in the woods.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:07 pm

Public Land Beast wrote:I wouldn't think so...They would have been bred in early Oct... I would think maybe it's a change in home range or different food source. I think when things green up in the spring deer are on the move more. The nicer weather gets them up on their feet too. Plus it is turkey, season and there are more people tromping around in the woods.

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Could be. The reason I was wondering is because this year seems different to me than past years. I based this on over 13 years of driving the same 80 miles roundtrip route to work everyday. It has always been like clockwork with the increase in roadkills every year. Early to mid November for the rut peak and mid to late May for doe fawning. I pay very close attention to this every year and I have never seen so many road killed year old fawns this early. I guess the early green up may have changed travel for food sources but you would think deer of all ages would be hit then. All I see is small 1 year olds laying on the side of the road :? The count as of today is 11 roadkills for the last few days and previously I didn't see any for the last 3 months.

Still wondering if the gestation period could be shortened due to a very mild winter?

I guess the only way we will know for sure is if guys out turkey hunting start seeing newborn fawns in the next few weeks.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby rizzo999 » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:27 pm

I saw on another site a pic of some "fresh" fawns with spots and all. I believe it was in Indiana. Based on the gestation period it would have placed breeding at late-Sept to early Oct.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:48 pm

Did some research and found this...............................


"The average gestation period of the whitetail deer doe in North America is 200 to 205 days.  This period can be shorter or longer depending on the availability of food.  When food is plentiful the fawn will be born after a shorter gestation time while the opposite would be true if the food supply is scarce."

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:39 am

Dewey wrote:Did some research and found this...............................


"The average gestation period of the whitetail deer doe in North America is 200 to 205 days.  This period can be shorter or longer depending on the availability of food.  When food is plentiful the fawn will be born after a shorter gestation time while the opposite would be true if the food supply is scarce."

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Intresting, I would have thought gestation would be the same regaurdless of food availability. Did your article say how much shorter? If what your seeing is the results of fawns being born, that would mean they are about a full month ahead of schedule. We've been getting freezing temps every night here lately, that could mean a poor fawn crop this year.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Swampthing » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:40 am

That is a very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:39 am

Black Squirrel wrote:
Dewey wrote:Did some research and found this...............................


"The average gestation period of the whitetail deer doe in North America is 200 to 205 days.  This period can be shorter or longer depending on the availability of food.  When food is plentiful the fawn will be born after a shorter gestation time while the opposite would be true if the food supply is scarce."

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Intresting, I would have thought gestation would be the same regaurdless of food availability. Did your article say how much shorter? If what your seeing is the results of fawns being born, that would mean they are about a full month ahead of schedule. We've been getting freezing temps every night here lately, that could mean a poor fawn crop this year.

I can't find anything saying exactly how much shorter gestation would be. If this is really happening hopefully we start warming up again soon to help fawn survival. As screwy as this year has been so far I think everything is way off balance including bird migrations and fish spawning. Seems like all wildlife is confused and hope this doesn't cause too many negative effects.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:39 am

I totaly agree with you Dewey.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:21 am

Who wrote that article? Fawns dropping early because more food available........sound like BS to me. Was at a deer game farm Sunday and didn't see any fawns and these deer are fed pretty good.

If anything, regarding poor food availablity years, the does can absorb one or all fetus for their own survival. Can't see the gestation period changing by more than a few days or maybe a week because of these factors.

Farm animals don't drop early because they are fed well.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:53 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:Who wrote that article? Fawns dropping early because more food available........sound like BS to me. Was at a deer game farm Sunday and didn't see any fawns and these deer are fed pretty good.

If anything, regarding poor food availablity years, the does can absorb one or all fetus for their own survival. Can't see the gestation period changing by more than a few days or maybe a week because of these factors.

Farm animals don't drop early because they are fed well.

Can't find the original article but this one has more info.......... http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/info/ ... 05/13.html

Not saying this is a fact just trying to find an explanation for what I am seeing.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:18 am

That article is giving a "max early" drop of two weeks and a two week swing the other way regarding poor available food. My original post gave a week swing either way and would say the vast majority of deer would fall into this catorgory.

The articles info puts an early drop around the start of the second week of May this year..... assuming a doe is bred on Nov 7th. Which is believable to me.....I see most newborn fawns around Memorial day weekend in Northern WI and assuming they were dropped shortly before that..

I'm not saying it isn't possible....you know the old saying, never say never, but fawns dropping now in WI sounds super early and would be a huge 1st for my observation.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:23 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:
I'm not saying it isn't possible....you know the old saying, never say never, but fawns dropping now in WI sounds super early and would be a huge 1st for my observation.

I agree! Anything is possible especially with this very strange year we are having. One thing for sure is none of us have ever experienced a year like this before, so who really knows for sure.

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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Schultzy » Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:13 pm

Hodag Hunter wrote:Who wrote that article? Fawns dropping early because more food available........sound like BS to me. Was at a deer game farm Sunday and didn't see any fawns and these deer are fed pretty good.

If anything, regarding poor food availablity years, the does can absorb one or all fetus for their own survival. Can't see the gestation period changing by more than a few days or maybe a week because of these factors.

Farm animals don't drop early because they are fed well.
I totally agree Hodag. Not knocking you at all Dewey (your a good guy) but whoever claims this is full of it I think. I've been around farm animals all my life and a gestation period is a gestation period regardless of the mammal.

Interesting none the less. I will say this though that I believe more doe's get bred sooner then most do think.
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Re: Are does getting ready to drop fawns already??

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:12 pm

I'm sure you guys are right and this would be the first I ever heard of this as well.

You brought up a great point Shultzy about does being bred much earlier than some think. I believe there is a fair amount that come into estrous much earlier than typical. That's why some see chasing of a hot doe in mid-late Oct. already.

The only proof of anything will be if fawns start popping up early in the next few weeks.

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