Doe with two fawns

[seabast]

It might just be a coincidence but I have seen three different does with two fawns each in the past two weeks (WMU 53A), 10 to 20 miles away from each other.
The first one late in July, right in town 100 yards from my house, with two spotted fawns.
foam.JPG

Then, this doe I have seen pretty much everyday between 5:30am and 6am in the same field.
doe.JPG

She appeared with two fawns Saturday.

foam 2.JPG


And the third one last night coming back from a friend place around 9pm, sorry no pic.

I always heard that when the number are down for any given species of animal (deer, coyote, rabbits and so on..) nature compensate the next few years by increasing the birth numbers of one kind and reducing the numbers of the predators or preys. Lots to do with the food source too I assume....
Seems to be what's going on right now because I have never seen that before. What about you?

[rick_iles]

Twin fawns are common. The difficult part is getting them past the predators !!!

[GoldenLakePete]

I haven't seen twin fawns in years.

[seabast]

I just don't remember seen that many either.

[old243]

Doe at my place had a fawn with her , earlier. It is gone now. Coyote needed lunch I guess. old 243

[Gun Nut]

It might just be a coincidence but I have seen three different does with two fawns each in the past two weeks (WMU 53A), 10 to 20 miles away from each other.
The first one late in July, right in town 100 yards from my house, with two spotted fawns.
foam.JPG

Then, this doe I have seen pretty much everyday between 5:30am and 6am in the same field.
doe.JPG

She appeared with two fawns Saturday.

foam 2.JPG


And the third one last night coming back from a friend place around 9pm, sorry no pic.

I always heard that when the number are down for any given species of animal (deer, coyote, rabbits and so on..) nature compensate the next few years by increasing the birth numbers of one kind and reducing the numbers of the predators or preys. Lots to do with the food source too I assume....
Seems to be what's going on right now because I have never seen that before. What about you?

In wildlife management there are a couple of models that have been used in the States, there is the Early Harvest model, and Late Harvest model. In the former, deer are usually harvested within the first 3 to 4 years of their life. There is a higher ratio of does to bucks 2:1, and because the does are younger when they birth, they usually only have one fawn. This management style generally maximize the number of deer, and increases the success of hunting opportunities, the focus is on meat production. In the latter case the deer are usually harvested later in their life. The ratio of does to bucks is 1:1, and because the does giving birth are older they tend to have twin fawn. In this management style the deer are fewer in number, and hunting success usually is low, but it provides an opportunity to take large trophy bucks. In the Early Harvest the emphasis is on herd building, increasing the number of does giving birth by putting restriction on how many can be taken during the harvest. Ontario appeared to have adopt this model a number of years back, which they initiated with buck only seasons. What appears to have happen about five years ago, was a poor fall hunt, followed by a large winter die off, which in turn resulted in shy rocketing wolf and coyote numbers, and the model being employed went off the track. Right now, it would appear we have slid back into a Late Model situation, hence you're seeing does with twin fawns. Although there is still a selective harvest, the MNRF managers seem reluctant, to pursue the course of a couple buck only seasons in order to once again build the herd numbers.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut