Was just scrolling through some trail cam photos from last year and saw some beautiful baby deer with spots. Just another month or 2 and we should start seeing them again 
Can't wait!
Can't wait!
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Bambi's
- Thread starter redsquirrel
- Start date
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
Still haven't seen a spot as of yet here in St. Helen, MI. We had one of the worst winters ever (I guess the entire nation actually did) and I'm figuring it will make for a sparse crop of young-uns this year. I'm in the woods every weekend and do a lot of road scouting morning and night and am really surprised I've yet to see any.
I'm surprised I have not seen any yet as well. My wife saw one on the side of the highway a couple of weeks ago already and I have seen a few people with trail camera pictures of really little ones but I haven't. I hope to check a couple of my cameras this weekend and get a couple more out so hopefully I'll either see one or get some pictures
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
Still looking and not seeing. I was told by a very wise man this past weekend that summer is running about 2-3 weeks late due to the harsh and enduring winter. He seems to make sense because now that I'm really paying attention, I'm seeing all the tree and plant budding and pollination phases happening right now, when I would normally have seen them a couple three weeks ago on a typical year. I'll really be out looking this weekend and I sure hope I see some young-uns.
As I understand the Whitetail Deer's biology, all does most often start with (conceive) twins during the rut. The severity of the winter determines how many they actually give birth to. So a normal winter brings the twins and triplets we see often, and a hard winter reveals a lot of singles. Maybe this past winter was so bad, all but the healthiest does may bare none. Apparently, their bodies re-consume the fetus(s) for their own nutrition automatically based on the winter factor, and other factors. A safety net if you will, for their own survival.
Anyone else ever read or hear anything on this biological process?
As I understand the Whitetail Deer's biology, all does most often start with (conceive) twins during the rut. The severity of the winter determines how many they actually give birth to. So a normal winter brings the twins and triplets we see often, and a hard winter reveals a lot of singles. Maybe this past winter was so bad, all but the healthiest does may bare none. Apparently, their bodies re-consume the fetus(s) for their own nutrition automatically based on the winter factor, and other factors. A safety net if you will, for their own survival.
Anyone else ever read or hear anything on this biological process?
That's correct but you also need to factor in that when a doe gives birth if you run cam's all year round they disappear for about 2 weeks and the fawns don't really make them selves visable until around the end of June. Conception times do not change from year to year. You'll see them soon enough. My biggest problem last year was ticks. I saw mortality and some really gnarly cases where fawns were blind do to severve tick infestation around the eyes. Bad bad stuff. I haven't pulled any of my cards for a month or so and I do a lot of recruitment surveys especially since I lost like 65% of my deer heard in 2012 due to EHD. I'll venture to say I'll have some pics soon. I haven't seen fawns yet though and I've been counting around 10 or so does in the been field close to my office.
I guess I forgot to post this last weekend but I ended up getting 2 trees set up on saturday. On my way to the first tree I had a hen pop up about 5 yards in front of me as I was walking. She stopped and stood there and putted at me and I quickly figured out she must have been sitting on some eggs so I backed out and took a wide berth around her.
At the second tree I was setting up I was pretty sure of the tree I wanted to be in, so I put my bag and pole saw down at the tree and took a walk past it to make sure I could cover another trail I wanted to cover. As I'm walking back to the tree I hear a rustling in this dead leafy limb about 5 yards from me and 5 yards from the tree I plopped my stuff next to. All of a sudden this fawn shoots like a bat out of hell out of there. It was pretty amazing how tight it held while I was walking all around. I guess when I started working my way back it decided it was time to get out of there!
At the second tree I was setting up I was pretty sure of the tree I wanted to be in, so I put my bag and pole saw down at the tree and took a walk past it to make sure I could cover another trail I wanted to cover. As I'm walking back to the tree I hear a rustling in this dead leafy limb about 5 yards from me and 5 yards from the tree I plopped my stuff next to. All of a sudden this fawn shoots like a bat out of hell out of there. It was pretty amazing how tight it held while I was walking all around. I guess when I started working my way back it decided it was time to get out of there!
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
Finally saw my first two fawns this past weekend. After this harsh MI winter I was slightly surprised to see a set of twins. Hopefully more to come as they get moving a little bit now.
RS, congrats on getting some set-ups completed right now. I came out strong in may and got a couple spots set and one of my better spots moved to a better tree about 40 yds away. Since then, nothing... I'm gonna try to get out over this upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend and get a couple spots sorted out and hopefully get a tree or two set up. The bonus then will be seeing some more fawns, hopefully a buck or two that can make it through the next 4 years so they get on my short list.
RS, congrats on getting some set-ups completed right now. I came out strong in may and got a couple spots set and one of my better spots moved to a better tree about 40 yds away. Since then, nothing... I'm gonna try to get out over this upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend and get a couple spots sorted out and hopefully get a tree or two set up. The bonus then will be seeing some more fawns, hopefully a buck or two that can make it through the next 4 years so they get on my short list.
2 fawns, thats a great sign! Deer really are amazing at surviving.
I am up to 6 new trees from my winter scouting right now. Spring was pretty much shot with work so I'm trying to cram it all in now. Those 6 spots were my best new spots, all of the remaining are either moving old spots to better trees or setting up some secondary spots that looked ok to try out. I have to start breaking down old trees that aren't any good or that I never hunt because I'm out of steps. I probably will have to put another order in as well...
I jumped a nice buck yesterday so look at that as motivation to get out and set up before we get too close to the season!
I am up to 6 new trees from my winter scouting right now. Spring was pretty much shot with work so I'm trying to cram it all in now. Those 6 spots were my best new spots, all of the remaining are either moving old spots to better trees or setting up some secondary spots that looked ok to try out. I have to start breaking down old trees that aren't any good or that I never hunt because I'm out of steps. I probably will have to put another order in as well...
I jumped a nice buck yesterday so look at that as motivation to get out and set up before we get too close to the season!