Why am I seeing a spotted fawn during mid January?
Filed under: Deer Biology
See attached, recent photo of deer on our proving ground here in the lowcountry of SC. My question / concern is the spotted yearling this time of the year. What does this say about my deer herd? How old is this yearling and when was her momma bred? What are you thoughts and recommendations?
Thank you,
Sam
Sam,
It’s not uncommon to see the odd fawn that still has spots during January. This is especially true in the south where fawns rarely die from exposure to cold weather. Some does simply breed later than others. This could be due to an illness, lost of first fetus, etc.
If spotted fawns were a common observation during late January in the South Carolina coastal plain I’d be worried. However, odd events don’t cause me to be alarmed.
In fact, I’m impressed this fawn wasn’t killed by predators!
Tracy, my wife, and I lived and worked in South Carolina for years!
Enjoy creation,
grant
January 25, 2016
