Are Mule Deer Bad at Reproducing?

[MuleyFever]

I have thought about this in the past but usually forget about it pretty quickly so figured I would ask while its in my head. I have been up around Kalispell/Glacier for the last few days and have seen a fair amount of does and not one fawn. My wife saw a group and she said they thinks there was one fawn. I have noticed the same thing around home and when in CO in the summer. From what I have read fawn survival rates are usually over 50%, so where are all the fawns? The only thing I can think of is that many does just dont have any to begin with. Its odd to me, coming from the Midwest where just about every doe has twins by her side. So yes, a lot of fawns die but when I see 15-20 does and one fawn something seems off. I know a lot of areas, especially in UT, buck to doe rations are around 20:100. Are there a lot of does not getting bred? Anyone seen any stats on pregnancy rates of does?

 

[justin davis]

The deer around here have not had any babies yet We usually see them. Around our house seems each doe has 1 if not 2 fawns a year. Now if those fawns survive cars and lions and bears I don’t know

 

[MuleyFever]

The deer around here have not had any babies yet We usually see them. Around our house seems each doe has 1 if not 2 fawns a year. Now if those fawns survive cars and lions and bears I don’t know

I figured the fawns would be out by now. If not that would satisfy my curiosity for up here. In S Utah I see so few fawns all summer/fall I still wonder what is going on.

 

[grfox92]

NW Wyoming here. In town, every doe has a fawn or two. In the agriculture or mountains or Prarie it's as you describe. The only thing missing from town is, Mountain lions, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, ect.

If 50% fawn survival rate is a national average, I would imagine in a predator rich area like where I live, and near Glacier, it's probably 10%. This is pure speculation of course, but just an observation and hypothesis.

I find a lot of fawn feet and legs while I'm out hunting, just what's left after they get eaten. When I say I find a lot I mean over a few dozen a year. I can't think of ever finding any when I lived and hunted in NY.

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[grfox92]

I figured the fawns would be out by now. If not that would satisfy my curiosity for up here. In S Utah I see so few fawns all summer/fall I still wonder what is going on.

Now that I think of it, I haven't seen any fawns of the year yet this year.

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[Rich M]

Think the winter made the does abort?

If i was finding that many fawn feet id be killing some predators.

 

[feanor]

No fawns in my neighborhood in co. We thought winter was a factor maybe. Last year there were 3 fawns that all survived and are now yearlings.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

I don't even have any deer left in my neighborhood
Went from 20 or so to 0

 

[mtnrunner260]

Have heard that there has been significant research that as few as 5 bucks per 100 does will result in the average pregnancy rate for a population. Which is around 90%
Winter conditions can certainly affect pregnancy rates on a year to year basis.
Also the average birth time is first week of June. The fawns spent the first few weeks of life doing more hiding than anything else. So they could be around and you don't see them. The does will forage for hours between nursing and typically will try to lead predators away from their bedded fawns.

This doe wondered by our camp on June 10th and was in view for 30 minutes. Never saw a fawn despite looking. You can see she is nursing at least one buy her udder.

 

[Firestone]

They are just starting to drop in this part of the state. Saw my first fawn of the year just recently. So I am guessing they just hadn't had them yet

 

[S.Clancy]

They are dropped, they just aren't very visible for the first several weeks. In Eastern MT, of which I am most familiar as far as mule deer goes, reproduction is very effective. I imagine we will be seeing mostly twins for the next couple years as the combination of low population and high range productivity leads to increased mule deer production. The areas I scouted this spring had good overwinter survival rates of fawns, based on what I saw on the ground. Areas may vary.

 

[Marine4life]

I was in RMNP last week and it was pretty easy to tell which mature does had dropped and which didnt. Seen a lot of deer and some had slim bellies and fat utters and others looked like a balloon around the middle. Never seen a single fawn and very few elk calves. But I am sure they were there.


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[Stache Attack]

They are down in the grass yet, deer movement has changed and I don’t see big bellies anymore. I have seen piles of antelope twins this year. They hit the dirt and run 40 mph in an hour!

 

[feanor]

Just saw the first fawn of the season tonight. Teeny tiny.

 

[huntngolf]

Did a quick morning scout trip on the 4th, glassed one big valley for an hour. Saw 25ish does and 10 or so fawns. Fawns all looked very healthy, already running around and playing. Seemed to be with the older looking does. The younger looking does all had utters that looked like they have a young fawn or will have one soon but would think they should be out by now.

 

[mtmojo]

seeing some fawns around central MT in the past couple weeks.