ORIGINAL: salty
does this mean there is a lack of bucks in the area? Every fawn I see has spots still. I figure there is a lack of bucks to service the does but need some input..
The fawns will lose their spots when they change into their winter coats. In this area some have already changed and some have not though it really doesn’t seem to have anything to do with their size. I saw one large fawn today with lots of very district spots while I saw several on Monday that were smaller fawns, in their winter coats, and you couldn’t see any spots. It does vary when the fawns transition to winter hair though it is basically influenced by the amount of daylight along with to a lesser degree their ages and general nutrition.
As for late fawns that does happen. Often in the past it was a result of a poor buck/doe where there weren’t enough bucks to get the does bred during their first estrus cycle. Late fawns, from a poor buck/doe ratio, are not as much of a problem since antler restrictions as it once was. Now a higher percentage of the late fawns are probably from juvenile does that didn’t come into estrus until December because they weren’t sexually mature until then. That isn’t a problem and is perfectly natural. Late born fawns from adult does are an indication of a poor buck/doe ratio and that is neither normal nor natural.
Dick Bodenhorn
WCO, Elk County