Okay...here is the scoop from my biologist buddy at DNR. Enjoy. Even if this is not the case, the info he provides is good stuff.
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Well, I'm very confident in saying that inbreeding is not the problem….. Here is a quick low down on the deer breeding cycle.
Late October/early November - mature does come into heat and are bred.
Late November/early December - does that were not bred or did not become pregnant during their first breeding cycle come into heat a second time (second rut).
Late December/January - Does not bred or did not become pregnant during October and November come into heat a third time and fawns in good physical condition come into heat, third rut.
Late January/Early February - Due to changes in the amount of daylight and lower testosterone levels in buck breeding ceases and bucks loose their antlers.
February - Due to the changes in the amount of daylight and changes in the deer hormone levels deer, under normal circumstances, a deer will not come into heat again until the fall
Early May/Mid-May - Does bred early in the first rut (October) give birth to fawns.
Late May/Early June - The majority of does give birth during this time.
Late June/July - Does bred in the "second rut" give birth.
Mid July/Late July - Does and fawns bred in January give birth. That should be the end of the birthing season.
Late October - Breeding season begins again.
The gestation period of a White-tailed deer is a little over 6 months, +/- 200 days. Therefore, for a deer to still be pregnant on September 15, she would have been bred the very end of February. This is not impossible, but very unlikely. What is more likely to have happened is that the fetus died, for whatever reason, and the doe has just not yet gotten rid of it. The age of the deer would say a lot here. If it was 1-1.5 years old when it was killed, it is possible that it was a fawn that came into heat very late, but finding a buck that still has the stamina to bred her is very unlikely. Daylight more than temperature drives the rutting cycle in white-tailed deer. For the most part all does will be bred during the first and second rut, then the occasional fawn late. However, in a situation where a population is out of balance and there are too many does, the bucks literally cannot tend to all the does that are coming into heat at virtually the same time (OH what a problem to have, hhmmm…) and physically run themselves ragged.
Very interesting situation and one that makes me think, thanks for throwing it my way. I like this kind of science, give me some more!