Something Had Not Seen Before
Whitetail Deer
I understand Whitetails are individuals, but out my window right now just after 1PM, watching a hard horned basketrack 6-point feeding on my 8" - 10" high winter rye, after a hard rain just came through... Although not uncommon to see deer feed midday in my little rye patch seeded August 17th, but what I've never seen before is a fawn tagging along with him... Mother of fawn nowhere to be seen, just the little buck and fading spots fawn button buck from what I can tell... Seems he's abandoned Mom already and bachelored up with a buddy already... A first for me to see... I tried to get a photo of them together but they spooked when I tried to open the door...
I wonder if mom got hit by a car or yotes ate her or something... That is odd, this year's fawns should still be nursing a bit I'd imagine.
Could be, don't know... Yeah, I've seen them nurse in September... He's nice size for a fawn, but he still has spots...
The basketrack seems to just ignore him...8^) Once seen two button bucks butting heads and battling it out like they had antlers...8^) Was cool to watch, wish I'd had a camera at the time...
It is just strange seeing them together like that... Will be interesting if they're still together next time they come around...
Possibly an antlered doe?
Interesting hypothesis, tobywon! Could be. Momma could also be around, but just out of sight.
That could be Scoot...
I know the antlered basketrack is a buck, he's been hanging around out there while in velvet all summer with another basketrack, they're usually together and look much alike... Whitetail society is an interesting thing...
My guess is that it's a coincidence. I bet mom is within a couple hundred yards. Not uncommon in my area even into October for does to still be hiding fawns and bedding separately (even bigger fawns with no spots). Also not uncommon for fawns to take short walkabouts away from bedded mother and be feeding or farting around within a couple hundred yards. I've seen it quite a bit while hunting.
I've watched does bed down with fawns, and after a while the fawns get restless and get up and move around and feed around and eventually wander back to mom. While it's possible mom is out of the picture, I wouldn't necessarily jump to that conclusion unless you witness the same thing on multiple occasions.
Got a picture a few years ago, pre-season, two rack bucks with a young doe tagging along. I'm guessing mom got killed in an accident and she needed to 'herd'.
"Hey beerman! " Do you even hunt?
That's funny fuzzy...8^)
Yeah, I agree with you guys that fawn's mother is likely somewhere out there close by out of view... Thanks for the comments...
Ironically out there to today during the same 1PM hour as yesterday there were 2 does and 2 fawns feeding in the rye... Must have something to do with the moon and feeding midday... Have seen these 4 travel together often, the fawns are from the bigger doe, and I think the smaller doe is a yearling without her own fawn... Am guessing she's likely the mature doe's daughter from last year...
Check the apparent buck/mom for NUTS!!
Then another odd thing this evening, 4 fawns, all with spots were out there with just one mature doe and I'm sure they were not all hers... They were scatters across my half acre field and I watched for probably 5 minutes and not another mature doe appeared... I think they were 2 pairs of twins... Strange, there are some complex skippers running around here...8^)
Well How you no the 8 point is a male?
Body structure...
BTW, nothing showed during the 1PM hour today... Must be the moon...8^)
After the beer salesman spammers posts got deleted my comment looks kind of random. Lol
