RE: Confusion about ARs
Its been a while sinse I have reviewed the statistics so in my conversations I was using round numbers. But Here is what I can refer you to:
The Population Management Plan for whitetail deer 2003-2007 for PA (on the PGC website. It noted that 20% of fawns were killed by predators, It did not mention still births, disease, or cars. Which I'm sure would easily add another 20% to that probably more. It seems to me that 50% mortality roughly sticks in my mind from school.
The same plan also says that says that accross the state the average birth rate is 1 doe - 1 fawn per year.
Another study of tagged fawns on the PGC website ended up with mortality rates of fawns ranging between 16% - 58% across the state.
My thought are that it probably is roughly 50%, but I'm sure this changes greatly from year to year.