hey guys,

Hunting season is just around the corner here in PA. I will be posting some pics of my newly found honeyhole in the next day or so.

Here is a quick question for you. My trail cam is presenting about 100 pictures of deer every 4 to 5 days. This is a highly populated travel route for a couple groups of deer.

Mainly I have the following groups:
-2 mature doe with 2 spotted fawns
-1 mature doe with 2 spotted fawns
-1 single button buck
-1 lone doe
-Another lone doe.

This is all I am seeing in this spot at the moment. I am definitely going to hold out for one of the lone doe to come by my ambush, but the results of my trail cam set-up got me thinking.

For curiosity sake, if a hunter, car, or predator took the life of one of these mother doe in the October time-frame. What would the mortality percetage be for the young fawns through the winter?

This scenario probably happens more than I'd like to think, but I was wondering how the little ones fair on their own, being in their first year.

Thanks guys,
Matt

They have the season start at the dates they do because the fawns are old enough to take care of themselves. Such is nature, I'll admit I shoot does even when fawns are with them.

i once saw a video of some kid shooting a doe way out of season and it had a fawn with it still with spots,i left a comment and gave him my two sense,but do you a spotted fawn would be able to survive on its own?

That's no concern around me the fawns are brown when season rolls around...Depridation tags well, thats another topic.

Here in ND season opens the Friday before Labor Day.  The Game and Fish has said that if you shoot a doe, with a fawn, on opening day, and the fawn doesn't survive, it probably wouldn't had made the winter anyway.  Deer are very resilent animals.

They did a study(I think the Noble foundation)in Oklahoma where they radio collared fawns.  Half the fawns mothers were harvested.  I wish I new how old the fawns were but the fawns without mothers had a slightly higher survival rate.  Go figure.

Everyone should do as they see fit, but for me, I do not shoot does with fawns. Somehow, it just seem like the right thing to do. Years ago, I would do it, but as I have gotten older, it seems cruel.

It's a coin toss for me.

I shot at a doe last year who dipped the arrow and went away unscathed.

Later in the year likely the same doe meandered up towards my stand with fawns in tow. The fawns came within range first. The doe came up followed by another doe with two fawns. While watching I saw how they interacted. Fawns trying to nurse, doe walking away, doe turning to nuzzle the milk hungry fawn. I just sat and watched. I will remember that time in the stand well. Sometimes you can learn alot by just watching their mannerisms.

They had not a care in the world. I figured I'd wait 'til next time.

Next time will be this  Sept 10th  

Great input guys.

Any more people want to give their opinions / answers here?

The only thing that would stop me from shooting a doe with fawns is one of the fawns busting me.

Shoot one of the fawns, don't shoot a big doe in that area. It will heat up during the rut and if you kill one of the mature does you have less buck bait in the future. You also will educate more deer by shooting an older deer first. I would not hunt the spot much and wait for the rut! This time of year if a mature doe get killed, the fawns have a decent chance of making it ecsp. with so many other deer in the area. Shawn

Sorry, but I shoot mostly fawns if I want meat. Our population is good but not great. I figure if I kill a mature doe, I killed 3 deer, her and the 2 she would have had the next spring. As I said above mature does educate many of the deer in the area, better take a fawn than buggar the whole area for later in the season. Shawn

I agree with Shawn, Save the doe , bucks are gonna be there if the does stay there. No lure like natural lure!!!

Aw come on Shawn, until she is pregnant you are killing only one deer.  No guarantees she will survive the winter even when she is pregnant.  Those fawns come into heat too, albeit a bit later.

ChuckC

When I was younger any deer was in trouble when in range. Now i take it day by day, most days i will let the doe with fawns walk and try for the lone adult. I dont shoot fawns or yearlings anymore.

In late September I once watched a doe with two fawns in a partially cut corn field from a distance as I tried to stalk into range.  One was a young doe and one a button buck.  I watched the button finish nursing and immediately walk around back and proceed to mount mama!  She didn't stand for that too long, but I figured if he thinks himself old enough for that, he can get by without mama.  I ended up stalking to a 10 yard shot and took her out.

These days I see many young motherless deer in my backyard in the suburbs, probably due mainly to automobiles.  I think they do fine, even the spotted ones.  They join up with a group by winter and have as good a chance as any of them.

I have to agree with Shawn on the selection of which deer to take if given the choice. Especially if you have more than one tag.

Personally I would take the one that offers the best shot.

Since this thread was about fawn survival rate, I dont think you need to worry about it. I think the coyotes and predators will catch the weak, the the deer hasn't learned to survive by that point, it probably wont. a Mother at some point will only take care of herself for her own survival. just because she travels still with her fawns, it doesnt mean she will jump in front of a bullet (err, i mean arrow) to save them.

Fawns will be fine, but I would shoot them and sorry but around here the doe will most likely survive the winter and most likely have twin fawns in early june. Shawn