I noticed over the last couple years.....that the fawns (this year's deer) never seem to get to the dark grey color of their older counterparts until WAY late in the season.....and only then it seems that the BB's do this.
What I'm getting at is......it's easy, here, for me to pick out a fawn over a yearling (even later in the year). Any deer here with a birthday under its' belt seems to have a darker grey coat. And....this year's fawns (even when they are out of spots) never lose that "brown" tinge. I noticed this, again, last night....and thought to post it.
Do you guys seem to notice this in your areas?
Later in the year.....the BB's are larger than their mothers, here.....and they take on the dark grey coats of the older deer. Doe fawns keep their brownish tint all season, this year.....even though size-wise they will match some of their older counterparts as the season progresses.
Yes Jeff its the same here. Fawns stay reddish brown until late in the winter. BTW, How'd that thermacell work out for you over the weekend? Have you used it yet?
"˜Round here fawns are later changing to the winter coats than the other deer, but after that they get brown just like the rest of them.
Once our gun season comes in there is pretty much no difference in coat color over the majority of the deer. Individual deer take on different shades of course, some are more gray, some more brown, but it doesn"™t appear to be an age class based distinction.
__________________
Just a regular guy who likes to hunt
I notice the same thing with the fawns here to. just got that imature coat i guess. They are noticable lighter in color. I also notice i can usually pic them out if i get a good look at there face to. They just have a different look about them. BB's I really havent noticed the difference in.
Here in PA I've NEVER seen a BB that was larger than it's mother.
As for color they seem to change color about the same rate as well. I don't necessarily remember any being particularly different in coloration much beyond the first few days of the season maybe.
I can tell you a "this year's deer" way into the season.....based solely on color (from a good distance)...AND if it's with other deer.
A BB here WILL get larger than most of the does....as the season progresses....AND they will get their dark grey, winter coat before their doe siblings.
I learned this in '06.....hunting with Rob....when I almost shot a BB....thinking it was the doe in the family goup of 3. I've noticed it a lot since then.
Maybe it's regional, Matt.....but you'll get to see what I'm talking about first-hand, likely. If the deer you're looking at is lighter than the others......CHECK GOOD in your binos (for buttons). It's a fawn. It may not be that much smaller than its' mother OR another doe in the group....but the coloration will give it away. Once it's clearly visible...other factors (body style ...i.e. "boxy" and snout length) will come into play. In the foliage we have here, now, it's tough to identify them from a distance. The color thing reminds me to give it a solid look. I let down, last night, because of this fact. I couldn't tell if it was a BB or a doe.....but I knew it was a this year's deer.
Although our adult deer here have blown their summer coats (all of them).....the fawns are distinctly colored differently.
We'll have Matt and Rob report back after their visit. It's just somehting I've noticed over the last couple seasons. I know it's huntin'.....but I'd be VERY surprised if they don't see a doe/fawn combo, here.
Let's talk coloration for a moment
