liquidorange

i have been hunting the same areas near some 30 years and my brother shot a deer this past weekend and all it had was its very front couple of teeth(dont know the proper name?) im guessing its a yearling not a fawn. it had no rear teeth at all. i have shot old does like this but figured the teeth were grinded down with age and poor nutrition. im wondering is this genetic or bad nutrition. i hunt in the southern parts of new jersey(called the pine barrens) and the soil is white sand and scrub oaks and pines. very few white oak stands and maybe a rye field in the fall to eat as far as feed for them. if this yearling had a fawn of its own did the fawn deplete the nutrients so much that the yearling couldnt have proper tooth growth?

timbercruiser

You've been hunting over 30 years and can't tell the difference in a yearling/fawn and a over the hill doe?

liquidorange

maybe you must have mis-understood[:-] i have shot a few over the hill does in this same area with most teeth grinded down to nothing. they usually look fully developed and grey haired and around 70 to 80 pounds. the deer my brother took was maybe 40-50 pounds and with a red coat more consistant of a just barley over a year old deer(born late last year).its looks too big to be a fawn comparing it to the ones im seeing this time of the year. most does i see are mostly grey coat with there fawns in red or the bigger ones mixed red-grey. you have to understand this part of new jersey grows way smaller deer than the rest of the state more like florida i bet. im gonna ask a biologist. my bet is that the feeding in the sandy soil on top of the bad nutrition and a fawn milking off the yearling allowed it grind and to not grow proper teeth.

cardeer

To many sugar beets

rgarza

Did you pull the jawbone or just take a good look? I know of many hunters who have been misled by just seeing the first few teeth. If I had to guess, that was an early born, big fawn.

To quote:"The central two incisors may still be erupting. Incisors may appear twisted as they emerge through the gum. Generally, there are only four cheek teeth showing. The third premolar has three cusps."

If a deer has worn their teeth down, that should be easy to tell. All adult teeth will be in place, but worn.

Tough to say without the jawbone to examine.

Kutter

Check this link out, it should answer your questions. Especially, check the 1 1/2 year old pics, they appear to show what you are talking about.

http://www.inmetrodetroit.com/Outdoo...r_Age/Ages.htm

KYFRED

Sounds like an early season fawn.

Iused to live in south Jersey. Pitman for 21 years. Never hunted when I was a kid, but there are some good areas.

PABowhntr

I would tend to agree as well. A buddy of mine shot a deer with this type of condition.