gobblerroller Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 What happens to orphaned yearlings? I've shot about three does in my hunting career that had yearlings with them. Are these deer "adopted" by other does or do they just learn to fend on their own? And do most survive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Yearlings or fawns? Yearlings here often times have their own fawns. Fawns that are old enough usually do fine and are most often adopted by groups. We do not typically have extreme winters here, predation is the only issue/concern for those fawns that get orphaned that might not get adopted by another group of deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobblerroller Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'm talking about deer that were born the season before that are not quite full grown. They do not have spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'm talking about deer that were born the season before that are not quite full grown. They do not have spots. Yearlings are last years fawns and they are usually a little smaller than mature does. Here most often yearlings will have fawns. Fawns are this year drop, around here fawns often get bred late, like after the second rut and so they have late born fawns. Usually we have a few fawns around here that may still have spots this late, but most of them do not. Yearlings hanging out with momma does still are sure to be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobblerroller Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Yearlings hanging out with momma does still are sure to be fine. That's what I was wondering. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I guess it depends on your area, but in our area, I think they do just fine. Saturday I had 3 fawns milling around. 1 was a doe fawn and was walking around bleating the whole time. Mom wasn't around at all. Later 2 buttons were side by side walking on the other side of the creek, they looked perfectly fine too. All 3 of them were acting like deer, walking around eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 yea they'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I think a majority of them do fine. I could have shot a doe early in the season but the fawn that was following her still had spots and was pretty tiny. Obviously a late birth, so I decided to pass due to that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmiley1040 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Alot of times they will take up with another group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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