Anyone ever see this before?

[DeadEndStreet]

September 8th was opening day here in Jersey. The early season is earn-a-buck meaning you must shoot a doe before freeing up your buck tag.

I hunted 6.5 hours in the morning and saw 2 small bucks but no does. The saddle was very comfortable after I made some adjustments and stopped using the back strap that came with it.

I headed to a property that afternoon to hunt with my brother. Long story short, I shot a doe in less than 5 minutes in the tree. I actually didn't even have my tether connected to the tree yet, I still had my linemans belt on. Kind of a strange way to shoot my first deer from a saddle, but that's how it went down.

But that's not what I want to know if you've seen before. What I'm wondering about is what I found while gutting the doe. It turned out the doe I shot was still pregnant with a nearly fully developed fawn in her. I was pretty sad when I pulled that sack out of her by the leg of the fawn, and couldn't bring myself to look at it right then. I drug my doe out of the woods to the truck. When my brother got back to the truck I told him what happened, and he convinced me to go back and take a look at it. I have never seen or heard of this happening to anyone in September before, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Anyone here have this happen or know anyone its happened to? I know it's more common late season but the fawns aren't very developed by then. Do you think the fawn would have survived the winter if I never shot the doe? We ended up keeping the fawn. I'm thinking about having it mounted.

Here's a link to a quick video my brother threw together about it.

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[Bigterp]

I’m never surprised in the deer woods. Probably the best backstraps you’ll ever eat....... thanks for sharing that video. Congratulations on the venison!

 

[Jgetch]

Seriously that’s crazy. Have you ever had suckling pig?! I would be making a feast immediately. There was no way you could have known or expected that to happen. We honor the lives we take by putting them to good use and that’s one meal you’ll never have the opportunity to have again.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I've seen spotted fawns in turkey season, and pregnant deer in October. Don't surprise me a bit. As I understand it, once a doe goes into heat, she will cycle until bred.

Hate if it psyched you out a bit. Kind of cool in my book. Congrats on the (double?) kill!

 

[elk yinzer]

Wow! I think that makes most hunters a bit sad, I would hate to see it, but I applaud you for sharing it.

I have certaibly never seen that. The doe would have bred in what, like late February or March right? Crazy stuff happens with breeding across all species, ours included.

 

[Vtbow]

We honor the lives we take by putting them to good use ....

This.

 

[IkemanTX]

September 8th was opening day here in Jersey. The early season is earn-a-buck meaning you must shoot a doe before freeing up your buck tag.

I hunted 6.5 hours in the morning and saw 2 small bucks but no does. The saddle was very comfortable after I made some adjustments and stopped using the back strap that came with it.

I headed to a property that afternoon to hunt with my brother. Long story short, I shot a doe in less than 5 minutes in the tree. I actually didn't even have my tether connected to the tree yet, I still had my linemans belt on. Kind of a strange way to shoot my first deer from a saddle, but that's how it went down.

But that's not what I want to know if you've seen before. What I'm wondering about is what I found while gutting the doe. It turned out the doe I shot was still pregnant with a nearly fully developed fawn in her. I was pretty sad when I pulled that sack out of her by the leg of the fawn, and couldn't bring myself to look at it right then. I drug my doe out of the woods to the truck. When my brother got back to the truck I told him what happened, and he convinced me to go back and take a look at it. I have never seen or heard of this happening to anyone in September before, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Anyone here have this happen or know anyone its happened to? I know it's more common late season but the fawns aren't very developed by then. Do you think the fawn would have survived the winter if I never shot the doe? We ended up keeping the fawn. I'm thinking about having it mounted.

Here's a link to a quick video my brother threw together about it.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

That would be a fawn from last year that came into season LATE. I'm fairly sure that that fawn wouldn't have made it through ya'll's winter if it was just about to drop..... You didn't remove a fawn from the herd, just a doe.


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[bigjoe]

Nature is constantly evolving. We look at a normal rut as late fall, with fawns being born in the spring. I have seen fawns with spots in the fall. Does will usually continue to come into heat until impregnated.

 

[swampsnyper]

I have all my cameras set in video mode. I still show rutting activity in March. So it’s very possible.

 

[Catskills]

wow man, that is quite crazy but like others said not surprising. I would let the NJ biologist know just for knowledge of what is possible and its interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

[noxninja]

I saw one last week that was extremely small (probably the same size as the one that was in your doe).

 

[Deleted member 2228]

Man, that's sad

 

[Cajunshooter]

I’m sure this happens but that really sucks. I killed a doe last season that had two fist size embryos in it. I felt really bad about that, I’d hate to have this happen.


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[brydan]

wow man, that is quite crazy but like others said not surprising. I would let the NJ biologist know just for knowledge of what is possible and its interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I would too. It's normal in the deep south for a few deer to be bred that time of year, a month to two months after the primary rut in my area. Up in your area though that's way off the norm.