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RE: Still Breeding

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ORIGINAL: mnbirddog

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ORIGINAL: RockinChair

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ORIGINAL: brushbustin

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ORIGINAL: RockinChair

Thats unheard of but very believable. There has been written documentation of bucks breeding does as early as September and late as March (as is your case). As long as a buck still has his antlers on his head he is able to breed, and if there is a willing doe he will breed her.

I just wonder when the fawn will be born and what the likelihood of its survival would be.

I've always heard that a buck can breed anytime of the year.Horns or no horn.

I'm not 100% sure. I am pretty positive that when a buck's testoterone levels start dropping when the rut is over, that starts the intial casting process. Also, his testicles will receede preventing him from breeding. Don't quote me on that though.

Just because the buck cant actually successfully breed, doesn't mean he cant be out getting some ass, right? I would think that damn near anytime a doe would stand still when he sniffs at her, he would try to mount her... Like pretty much every other mammal out there, right?

No not really. Like I said before, sooner or later (and it obviously varies in different locales) a buck's testoterone level will drop, as will his antlers and his testicles will recede and he will be unable to breed 'damn near every doe'. Also, since as bucks age they become less and less social, especially towards does outside of the rut I seriously doubt 'getting some *** is what he is concerned about. I would like to think that survival would probably be number 1.

RE: Still Breeding

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Just for a little clarification, could you name a few other mammals that attempt to mount their female companions each time they "sniff at her?"

RE: Still Breeding

I'm curious as to what you mean by a buck's testicles "receding". Never heard that before.

RE: Still Breeding

timbercruiser- I was doing my rounds at work the other day and one of the girls stopped me. She knows I'm big into deer hunting and wanted to relay something she saw. She was coming back from New York last week at night in the snow and ice and was a little up tight. Then she said "if that wasn't enough I came across a buck mounting a doe right at road side"! This was in upstate Pa. in March.

RE: Still Breeding

I have not seen any testies in all the pic I have taken this winter.

RE: Still Breeding

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ORIGINAL: timbercruiser

I'm curious as to what you mean by a buck's testicles "receding". Never heard that before.

It's hard to explain really but very simple when you think about it. I'll attack this in reverse order. We all know how important photoperiodism is to a deer and it's behavior. We know that after the Second Fall Equinox or the 'rutting moon' is what really triggers the rut. After the Summer Solstice (June 21) the days begin to gradually get shorter. As the days shorten the pituitary gland produces a hormone that that enlarges the bucks testicles and causes them to descend. And by the beginning of August they begin to produce sperm. Bucks are unable to breed from generally from the end of April to the end of July. The amount of sperm peaks in November (the rut) and drops rapidly by mid-December (the rut's waning days). And then process of the testicles receeding slowly begins. It doesn't happen overnight and as you can see is a very long possible. Chances are the buck that your friend saw breeding a doe obviously still had enough to breed.