drhntr178

Guys arent we assuming that we know the size of his corn fields. He might have a thousand acres or more in corn.

HuntingEd

Hey guys, got some more details on the "kill" this weekend. Turns out my initial thought was right, they killed 89 fawns in late spring when they cut the winter wheat off the fields. Its pretty bad, and will def. affect the herd in my area, I guess most of the does dropped their fawns in the fields and they were too young to know to run.

...But on a better note, my cousin was down there shed hunting and saw a bunch of deer, which is rare for this time of year... not many were killed this year, and the farmers have been seein a few nice bucks that made it through...

JoeRE

now that is possible, dont know your area or your deer herd but would still have to be a pretty large field....certainly no 40 acre field[:-]

ohbowguy

When I first read this I thought "There's no way! Somebody probably meant 8 or 9." But then I did some quick checking on the internet and found this: http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/BranchingOut/2001Spring.html( I assume you live in Maryland from your profile.) Anyway, the study says some areas in MD have 150 deer per square mile. That's a ton compared to most places in the US. Having seen this number I guess it's very likely that 89 is correct. If you live in one of these overpopulated areas I think it's only a matter of time before your local herd will be back to original numbers. It's just hard to think of that many deer killed at once when our area probably doesn't have even half that many deer per square mile.

Hotburn76

Not to sound off but it still don't add up to me. You live in a similar climate as me and the winter wheat does not come off until end of June or July at the earliest. I have never seen a deer get in the combine in my area, deer are just not that slow and dumb.I also would have to say that he could have only had two or three at the most. The front end of a thrasher on a combine is a fragile piece of equipment. After the first one he would be very pissed, and after the second one he would be doing something different because a combine could not handle that kind of abuse plain and simple. The only way I could see a deer getting killed by a farmer is if he had a large bush hog chopper being pulled real fast by a big tractor and the small ones would not have time to move. But in June and July they are out of the hiding and nest phase and are up and around with mom alot. Still seems way to off base IMO.

IL Rancher

I don't know how many a platform on a combine could take but a disc mower conditoner takes a lot of fawns in late May when Alfalfa fields are done and quite frankly the famer won't even know it happened until the vultures and crows show up right after cutting. It is sad, and no farmer I know who has had it happen enjoys it but it does happen... Have seen farmers run Quads infront of their windrowers trying to prevent it but those fawns just hunker down.. Hard to see when the hay is waist tall and you are cutting 16 feet at one time...

dayna0306

That place would of had to smell and I hope they are not in my corn flakes.


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HuntingEd

The winter wheat is usually picked in late may here, if not earlier, its off by june, we have long growing seasons, its usually planted in october... Anda lot of the farmers around here are the "corporate" type where they lease thousands and thousands of acres, there are no "small" operations anymore. It looks like army manuevers when they cut a field, 4-5 combines going fast and hard....

Ive seen them kill healthy adult deer... its no wonder they slaughter the young ones...

Ken Catch

I've put a few though the baler in N.J. Rotten parts after sitting in a wheat straw windrow. Put one into the Combine, Real messy the head got all bound up in the feeder auger.

arnus777

thats a shame