Probably within two weeks from this column’s publication, most of the fawn white-tailed deer will be born. Most does (female deer) are bred by about Nov. 10-15. Their gestation period is 200 to 205 days. Some fawns may be born a month later to does that weren’t bred in November or to the 40-45 percent of the fawns from 2021 that were also bred in December. A first year breeding doe will generally have one fawn, while does that are over a year old normally give birth to two fawns. Occasionally, triplets are born.

A fawn whitetail, like its cousins the elk or moose, is covered with hair, eyes open, and capable of standing soon after being born. (Smaller mammals, such as rabbits, have young born hairless and eyes closed) However, as many of you know, the spots on the back of a fawn are an adaptation for basically its first few days of life. A fawn, for its first four to six days, will instinctively lie down close to where it is born, flatten itself as low as possible, and arise only when the doe returns a few times a day to nurse it. The doe, in an effort to avoid predators finding the fawn, will venture a short distance away awaiting the next feeding time.

Well-meaning but poorly informed people may “stumble” upon this helpless looking fawn and try to rescue it. Remember, the fawn instinctively lies there expecting danger to overlook it. After the first days, this wobbly legged fawn is now strong enough to follow its mother as she feeds through the forests. A doe with fawns has a relatively small home range in the fawns’ first month or two of life.

The fawns’ most dangerous time of its life is in those first crucial days. Today, fawns in the Times News region must hope that their relatively scent-free and spotted coats will help them avoid detection. The gantlet they face is primarily from prowling coyotes and black bears. But in the more mountainous areas of our region, bobcats and fishers will also take a toll. Red and gray foxes generally feed on smaller mammals, but a day old fawn is a meal too easy to pass up.

Not trying to betray my age, I remember the first reports of coyotes in the Times News area about the late ’60s. The past 20 or 30 years coyote numbers have greatly increased.

Also, we have two vulture species, the turkey vulture and the black vulture. The latter was never found in this area until recently. Unlike the turkey vulture, which is almost entirely a scavenger and a great sense of smell, the black vulture’s niche includes predation. Reports are increasing of lambs being killed and eaten by them.

Now, reports of fawn predation by black vultures are increasing too. Add black vultures to the list of predators. Some does will “drop” their fawns in fallow fields/hay fields and that is where fawns are most susceptible to the black vultures.

My trail cameras have been providing me with fewer and fewer photos of does with twin fawns. Though not a scientific study, it appears that more fawns are not making it through their early day’s gantlet of predators. To further support that, deer numbers, especially in housing developments near forested areas, have been increasing. My conjecture is they have less of the previously mentioned predators there. Let’s hope nature finds a predator/prey balance for all to survive.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: Research has shown that nearly 55% of fawns born are: A. females, B. males.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Most birds, and most reptiles also have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.