HuntingEd

Hey all, just wanted to vent...

I heard yesterday that the farm two farms down from us cut their corn early this year (like aug)... When they did that they killed 89 fawns. All the other farms had beans in last summer, so alot of the deer were in that corn.... I dont know why they didnt wait to cut until oct like everyone else.... The only thing i can think of is that they put it in extra early, but i cant remember...

Looks like im going to be seeing a few less deer for the next few years

huntingson

Seriously? That is amazing. I can't imagine a field with 89 deer in it, let alone 89 fawns. I know this may sound heartless but perhaps the herd needed a major culling. You know better than me obviously, but that was my first thought.

HuntingEd

I agree that the herd needs managing, but i'd rather seem them all be does... our buck doe ratio is way off, I plan on whacking atleast 4 does next year in early season... But im gonna wait and see what this does to the herd... I did notice i saw a lot less deer this year....

GMMAT

This was my first thought, also. In speaking with my NCWRC Wildlife Biologist.....and giving him my deer sightings numbers......he seemed to think I had a doe group (or a few groups) consisting of about 40 does (I saw over 300 antlerless deer, from stand, this year). He told me that all of them (we had to assume) would have been bred......and that my friends and I could take as many as EIGHTEEN (more, really)and not do anything harmful to the herd, this year. We're gonna try and do what we can.......but I have to admit that killing does with fawns and killing smaller does isn't gonna be easy. o be honest....I'd welcome such an event......but I know I couldn't help but wonder about the bucks, too.

Tough deal....sorry to hear about it....

Raxxmaster

in august fawns are plenty big enough and plenty smart and fast enough to leave the field or get out of the way. i also find this hard to believe, 89 fawns, just doesnt add up.

wis_bow_huntr

Well when farmers like myself harvest corn in august, sept, and oct, this is for high moisture corn. But if these fields held that many fawns im thinking theres something wrong. I have 300 acres and a verylarge deer herd of course its not hard to see 80 plus deer in a field at times but 80 plus fawns, im thinking someoneis full of it.

Howler

Deer getting killed in swathers and combines happens, BUT 89 in ONE field. Seems a bit over blown!

Red Lion

I am not a farmer, so know nothing about cutting corn. With that said, how is it that someone can kill 89 fawns while cutting corn and not at some point recognize what is going on (such as unusual noise, blood, flying boddy parts, etc....)?

HuntingEd

Yea, My uncle wasnt sure if the data was correct. Also the picking time didnt add up, My first thought was that it was picked in spring. I KNOW that they left their corn stand through winter last year, cause all the deer were there... It could be the case that they picked it in spring, but he told me it was aug/early sept...

I know that it seems like a lot, but we have a ton of deer in the area... and they are highly moblie, if there is a good food source they all go to it.

And as far as being big enough and fast enough to get away, their instincts tell them to sit still, It happens all to frequently...

Raxxmaster

some corn gets cut when green for silage, not sure thats spelled right.