First Fawn on the Ground

[Pope Co.]

Yesterday evening we saw the first fawn on the ground for 2012, or the first one we saw.

This is always a fun time for us.

There is another benefit to seeing when fawns hit the ground. It predicts the rut. Everybody always asks, "When is the rut"? The gestation period for whitetail deer is approximately 180 days. Some folks say 180, some say 200. So if you count backwards 180 days from when you see fawns hit the ground you are really close to knowing when that deer was conceived, or last years rut. Next years rut will be very close if not exactly when last years rut was. This is not an exact science. This fawn that we saw yesterday is early by almost two weeks. So I would not predict the peak of the rut off this one.

Typically we see fawns hitting the ground the first week of June. If you do the math that puts the rut in mid November.

[huntmaster80]

Was turkey hunting on saturday and jumped one out of a blow down about 5 feet from me.  never got that close before.

[kestimator]

That's interesting info Pope Co.!  Thanks for sharing!  We saw "our" first fawn of the year in the yard Monday.  They are so cute!  I'm glad that by hunting season that they've changed a lot or I would probably not be able to shoot one  

[glass76]

Thanks for the heads up, got some does around here that look like they are ready too.

[Mike Vines]

We need pictures for this thread.

[bretto]

When I got to work today there was a Doe with twin fawns under the bridge. They couldn't have been a couple of hours old. One was actually darker than the other like it was still wet.

The whole crew was looking over the bridge at them and the Doe was hard staring us bad. She finally had enough and moved them down the creek we were working over.

It was pretty cool listening to all the vocal bleats and bawls coming from both mother and babies.

bretto

[mmisciag]

Yesterday, in my wife's friend's back yard...

 

Very cool.

Martin

[PSUBowhunter]

We found this little girl while shooting on Sunday.

 
 

[bowslinger]

Way cool!  Have not seen any yet this year.

[Roy Steele]

POPE I use that same method. It's 180 days here in WV. HERES A LITTLE TIP THAT WILL GET YOU CLOSE TO THE RIGHT DATE.
  A fawn will try to hide out danger the first week once found. After about 6 or 7 days he'll run fround you(danger).
  I also saw my first SUNDAY. I'd cut a few mallberry logs for bow staves a month before.Turkey season stop me untill now.
 Rideing across a hay field I jumped the doe. It did'nt take log to find the fawn.

[Brianlocal3]

Very pretty pictures yall. This also means its prime time to coyote hunt. June is one of , of not my best months of the year to kill yote's. Have fun everyone.

[Mudd]

I wish I could find the study to share but at one time I had a copy of one done by a conservation department.

All road kill does were autopsied and the fetuses were aged thus giving the approximate date of conception.

All of that data was put into a graph format thus showing the peaks and valleys. The peaks being the dates of conception.

Fewer bucks are seen on peak days.(the reason is obvious...lol)

I have always seen more bucks out moving about on valley days.

I found the information some of the most helpful and "on the money" as any I've ever tried to use.

God's grace and peace, Mudd

[JamesV]

In the Mississippi Delta we are seeing fawns without spots already. Most fawns I have seen on the forestry roads are really big for this time of year.