@Justin Byers No shade or ill feelings so please don't take it that way. Congrats to your daughter with 1 heck of a shot and 1st harvest, I hope to do the same with my boys when they get a little older a memory you guys will have forever.
I am a new hunter with no mentors so trying to learn as much as I can. With a doe with 2 fawns is there any risk of those fawns not having what they need to survive or does it depend on if the doe was still wet? If so, is there a way to tell?
Thanks for the question! You can go back read through some of my previous posts discussing it, but here is the summary:
Wildlife departments set their season dates based on multiple criteria, including when the fawns are able to survive on their own. (that is why season doesn't start in July or August) All mother does will still have some milk, but the fawns are not even close to dependent on it. For example, there are times you will see this year's fawn try to milk in November. That doesn't mean they are still nursing. Most does will still have some milk being produced through most of the fall. However, by the time bow season starts they are exclusively foragers. I just watched a doe kick a fawn off this past week, and the fawns I am seeing will literally run through the timber to get to the alfalfa and then gorge themselves all evening and night. I am also able to observe these fawns all through season and they are fine.
Some will mention survival skills are learned by mom as a reason not to shoot.... Great point, but most of the survival skills are already acquired by the time season arrives, (I have had many a fawn pick me off in a tree and blow out) and in areas of high deer density, such as this, they are with dozens of other deer constantly and are picking up alert/survival skills from them as well.
So while I do think each geographic location can change the survival ability for a fawn (i.e. the UP of Michigan vs the Iowa corn belt) in any area that is Ag rich, with lots of good habitat and good deer numbers, they will be just fine on their own. They do often get harvested during season, but that is why it is good to really become a student of deer and learn what a fawn looks like vs a doe (snout length, ear size, eyelashes, body length, etc)
I wish you the best and much success! Glad you have joined the hunting ranks!
