So they have their fawns a month later than the rest of the does in the spring. Does this hinder those late does from having a full cycle to be ready to be impregnated again in November, or could it be pushed back a month for some?
I ask because I have seen more late fawns than normal this year in my area. Some are just losing their spots, and I even saw one nursing last week. Wondering if this can affect the upcoming rut, I may want to save some tricks for mid December.
PS: This is Midwest, prime ground but every where is different!
Similar ruminant mammals can breed back just a month or two after giving birth, so I don't see why a deer wouldn't resume normal cycle.
But who the hell knows?
While I certainly believe that does un-bred in November, as well as young-of-the-year does can be bred in December and January, I don't put too much stock in an actual secondary rut. It's sporadic, and nothing that I believe can be counted on. Just kind of a right place/right time thing
I've seen bucks tending small looking does in December, but it sure wasn't a rut fest like many articles paint
Now granted I'm not hunting highly managed ground either.
I watched a mature buck repeatedly half-interestingly bump a mature looking doe last year on December 30th. Something about that doe smelled different, as he was completely ignoring the other 35+ does on the field in favor of this one. And also interestingly, of the more than a dozen other bucks on the field, none of them paid any mind at all. The buck that was nudging her around was obviously dominant, but none of the sub-dominate bucks were pestering them, like you'd generally see in November.
Whether she wasn't bred, or naturally aborted a pregnancy. . . who the heck knows?
I've been around enough cattle that were bred, and naturally aborted a pregnancy, that I wonder how often it occurs in wild populations, especially with stress of predation, hunting pressure, slight wounds, poor mast, etc. etc.
Bake