olddogrib

The season in the northwest district of NC runs from early Sept. to mid-Nov. AS the the season progresses, I see more buck fawns by themselves. By later in the season I do a little better job at telling them apart, although I will confess to having shot more than one due to mistaken identity. The bucks seem to be a bit stockier and tend to have a shorter snout and if you get real close you can sometimes make out the tufts of hair where the buttons are trying to poke through. Do the does actually "run them off" in the fall or are these orphans? I was just curious as to whether their being alone was also a gender clue.

Sven

Probably a little of both. I've read that the does will run off the young bucks, but some have probably been orphaned too.

I just watched a little button buck today. At first I thought (hoped) it was a doe being chased by a buck. After no bucks showed up, I guessed it was a button. Then I was sure after it found a little twig of a sapling and started rubbing it with it's forhead.

You are correct in that young buck tend to have shorter snouts than does, also.

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Live: Oregon, IL
Hunt: Knox County, IL

Rob/PA Bowyer

Sven is pretty much correct. Does will live in a matriarchal group consisting of a "boss" or dominant doe, her fawns of that year, her yearling doe offspring. The male fawn will either be pushed off or just disperse as the doe comes into estrous. It's a natural act in nature to overt in breeding. The dispersal is more prevalant in yearling bucks as they seek thier own homeranges away from the parent doe family group. Usually the male fawns may stay with the doe until the following birthing season when the doe will push off the male offspring.

Like Sven offers, many are orphaned so to speak but are more than adequate for survival.

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>