Mature Does Without Fawns

[blackbeard]

On two occasions I've saw mature does this year without fawns in Jackson County. I thought that was weird but just thought it was two odd occurrences. Talked to a buddy today who lives and hunts in Pike County and he said he has seen 8 mature does without fawns. Anybody else witnessing this and any explanations?

[RajunGajun]

Seeing the same thing in Butler County. 1 Large mature doe, and 3 medium sized ones, no fawns to be seen with them. Had them come in last night and twice last week. Why they aren't in the freezer is a story for another thread................. But yeah, seen them 3 times now together.

No idea why that is. I have seen a few other groups in the are with fawns, groups of 4 to 10 at different times in the past month or so. Hope someone can shed some light on it. Maybe a light breeding season last year in my area?

[skeeter]

I live in Pike County and im seeing the same. My trail cams are also showing the same thing. I have been getting excited when i view my plot watcher and its a single deer in the frame. More times than not its been a single mature doe. No explanation

[Newbowhunter32]

I have also seen several mature does without fawns this year. Not sure that this explains it, but I have definitely noticed a significant increase in the coyote population where I hunt...Maybe the warm winter was even better for the coyotes than it was for the deer? I think where I hunt that is part of it because most of the guys that hunt yotes around me primarily do so with a fresh snow...and we barely had any snow last year.

[gonehunting 45]

I can't explain it. I did have a button buck walk by and it was small very small. I have seen a very good number of fawn prints in the mud and they all are very small for this time of year. Makes me think if we have a bad winter a lot won't make it.

[deerguy10]

Not that I am saying all the fawns are being hit on the road but, this summer I noticed the most fawns I have ever seen hit on the roadways in medina and summit counties...
probably has nothing to do with what you are seeing just and observation that kinda correlates...

[mrbb]

I have seen it at my farm, for MANY yrs now, I blame it on simply being too many doe and not enough bucks to go around to breed them all
I have several groups of doe mature doe without any fawns this yr as well as in past yrs

I do also think they tend to stay away from doe's with fawns too
as I see them all the time alone/without yearlyings any where near them
just my opinion, but it seems to make sense to me
figure a doe can what get maybe 3-4 heat cycles in nefore timing runs out
and if you have a lot of doe's , and a buck has to stay a day or so with each one, time just runs out!??

[erparr]

Coyote's are the answer in central ohio... I have seen it several times this year one being a mature doe I know had two fawns last year (she has high white socks.) I fear this is going to be more and more common as we have a huge growing population of coyote's. An adult female coyote will have 3-6 pups every year, so the coyote population is at the very least doubling if not tripling every year. I firmly believe that the coyotes are cleaning up the fawns. I plan to trap and shoot as many coyote's as I can this year plus there worth $25-$40 skinned out!

[RackCityOutdoors]

also seen this in ross county

[blackbeard]

Thanks everybody. Can't believe this many people are seeing this as well. My first thought was coyotes, because they are thick around here, and hard to kill because it's so thick. I also just saw a photo a few weeks ago from somebody's trail cam showing a coyote catching a fawn. My second thought was EHD. It was reported to be very bad this year due to the dry summer. I wonder if it hits fawns harder than adult deer. Don't know the answer. I did finally see fawns with mature does twice over the weekend.

Any more ideas for what is going on?

[jklingenstein]

Not that I am saying all the fawns are being hit on the road but, this summer I noticed the most fawns I have ever seen hit on the roadways in medina and summit counties...
probably has nothing to do with what you are seeing just and observation that kinda correlates...

+1

Road kill and coyotes.

Note: In Wayne county all of the does I see have young of the year in tow.

[buckscout]

here in Fayette county I have seen more Fawns than mature doe.....weird happenings for sure this time of year....we did take a few mature doe the first few weeks of the season but that shouldnt put to much of a dent in my population.....I Have went 5 days now without seeing a mature doe and seen fawns every morning and evening...the only does I am seeing is via the trail cams.....something has them holed up in the thicket, I am thinking its the warm weather....this cold front should have everyone in their stands all day long.

[mrbb]

here in Fayette county I have seen more Fawns than mature doe.....weird happenings for sure this time of year....we did take a few mature doe the first few weeks of the season but that shouldnt put to much of a dent in my population.....I Have went 5 days now without seeing a mature doe and seen fawns every morning and evening...the only does I am seeing is via the trail cams.....something has them holed up in the thicket, I am thinking its the warm weather....this cold front should have everyone in their stands all day long.

here most of my adult doe seem to stay under cover till drk, but the yr lings been coming out to eat a good hr to 45 minutes before them, have even had them come out for over 300+ yrs away on different sides of the field, then meet up at about dark, like the young one's are just going about doing there own thing, if I didn't see them nursing off the doe, I would have sworn they were different groups of deer and not same mother fawn deal

I am sure coyotes get a few fawns, say with stray dogs and even other critters(here bobcats and bears get a bunch)
but I still think many times its just a doe never got breed the yr before, due to either not enough bucks /too many doe's deal
that window to get knocked up isn't all that long really if there is a out of balance deal I say its easy to get missed

[ohiobuckhunter]

I have see this also. I was thinking it could maybe be linked to the ehd outbreak. Wondering if fawns catch it easier than the adults?

[blackbeard]

That's what I was thinking, but I don't have any info. If anyone has info on if EHD impacts young deer more how about posting here.