White-tailed deer are prolific breeders, meaning they have the potential to reproduce and grow local deer populations quickly over just a few years. The majority of whitetail does will give birth to twin fawns each and every year after their first birth, when they usually have just a single fawn. One of the biggest deer management issues in many areas, both suburban and rural, continues to be deer overpopulation and the resulting degradation of habitat. It would seem that deer are in large numbers everywhere, but the fact is they are not. Many hunters often encounter animals in the field that appear to be barren deer, does without fawns. So what gives?

“Is there such a thing as a barren doe? I believe there is, as I have shot quite a few does in the 115 to 130 pound-plus weight range that have no signs of ever lactating; very small nipples, no evidence of ever having a milk bag. The nipples, as well as milk bag, are tight to the belly as to have never produced. I have friends that argue the barren doe thing, but I am convinced that there is such a thing. My theory is that they come into heat, get bred, but are sterile and do not take. Could you clear this up please? Thank you.”

Although some number of barren does can inevitably be found somewhere, they are very rare, comprising less than one percent of the doe population. Research on free-ranging whitetail deer has found that does bred when less than a year of age (fawns basically) normally produced a single fawn, with 10 percent of these animals bearing twin fawns. Older does average almost two fawns each annually; about 60 percent have twins, 30 percent have single fawns, 3 percent have triplets and 7 percent have complications that result in no fawns being produced. However, the overwhelming majority of “non-performers” are not barren and can go on to successfully produce fawns in the future.

Using the numbers above, this means that about 160 fawns are born for every 100 does in the population. This shows just how prolific white-tailed deer can be, but it’s important to remember that just because fawns were birthed does not mean that they will survive. Habitat quality, as in protective/hiding cover for fawns, and food availability, for lactating does, is extremely important for recruiting fawns into the adult deer population. This is where many properties fall short: inadequate deer habitat.

Source: “Failure of does to breed is not a problem, so where do the fawns go? Life is full of dangers for a fawn, and food and cover (fawning habitat) is the difference in living and dying for fawns. In many parts of the state, predation is severe unless there is adequate hiding cover for young fawns. Imported fire-ants are a problem for fawns in heavily infested areas, but their impact can often mask the real problem. Adequate deer nutrition is often limiting, and if fawns make it past fire-ants and predators to weaning, they still face the challenge of finding food and cover.

Fawn survival depends primarily on habitat quality. Malnutrition and associated problems are probably responsible for poor fawn survival in much of the state. Dry conditions aggravate the problem of inadequate food. “Empty belly disease” is the most limiting factor on whitetails in Texas. Delayed rutting and breeding could cause fawns to be born late, which would be a disadvantage on ranges where food is scarce.”

In short, observing does without fawns is not a barren doe issue. A large number of does without fawns by their sides, especially those in good physical condition, is an indicator of other deer management issues. Although the most common limiting factor of deer populations in many areas is a lack of deer habitat management, or more bluntly stated, poor habitat quality, I don’t believe this is the case in the situation presented by the questioner above.

In Texas, does with body weights of 115 to 130 pounds would be considered quite healthy. When deer have good, healthy body weights, one would expect the habitat to also be in good condition and that fawn recruitment would be high. In the case above, it’s suspected that predators could be the problem rather than inadequate nutrition. Providing good deer habitat typically alleviates predator issues in whitetail, but there have been instances when predators at extreme numbers, particularly within high-fenced ranches, can become a serious deer management issue. Barren does are not the problem, but predator numbers very well could be.

The white-tailed deer rut came and went with the the deer hunting season, but let’s not forget the importance of successful breeding in deer management as we look forward to yet another (hopefully) wet spring and summer. Many hunters and deer managers looking to provide additional food sources for whitetail have already started planning their spring food plots while others are knee-deep in brush management, which will mean more high quality forbs. By the way, let’s not forget that winter is the time for managing and reducing brush — not July and August!

The rut is a great time for a deer hunter because mature bucks can become quite vulnerable as they search for or trail hot does, but the rut is also the time of the year when bucks and does handle the business of reproducing the next generation of deer for your property. The length of gestation is plus or minus 200 days for whitetail deer, so it’s pretty easy to calculate when fawns will start hitting the ground on your property or lease. Will the habitat on your property be ready?

Until more recently, it’s long been believed that young whitetail bucks did not participate much during the rut. It was often assumed that young bucks bred young does while the middle-aged and mature bucks took care of the middle-aged and older does. The mating system in white-tailed deer was commonly described as dominance-based hierarchy, where dominant bucks did the lion’s share of the breeding. Under this assumption, the bigger, older bucks would pass their genes on to bunches of fawns, while the younger and less dominant (middle-aged and young) bucks would be lucky to sire a fawn or two.

Additionally, it was often thought that older does would simply reject young, unimposing bucks. This reasoning meant the only way a young buck would participate in the rut was to breed a young doe. But as I eluded to earlier, this was the line of reasoning until more recently. Thanks to genetics and the ability to track the DNA of specific animals, research has taught everyone that all bucks participate during the rut.
In fact, a research project out of Texas A&M University-Kingsville found that yearling males successfully mated with females of all ages.

This blew that old theory out of the water and it also documented the occurrence of multiple paternity in the fawns that were produced. In short, the study found several instances where twin fawns born from the same doe were sired by different bucks. So in some cases, mature does were bred by mature and allegedly dominant bucks, but also by yearling (1 1/2 year old) bucks. This information should change the way you view those young bucks on your property. After all, when it comes to deer management — and apparently breeding — both age and genetics are important.

The study, which took place at the infamous King Ranch, also yielded some other interesting tidbits. It found that the breeding success of young bucks was primarily restricted to the peak of the breeding season when most does were in estrous. It was believed that young whitetail bucks had the most success during the peak of the rut because mature bucks will often form tending bonds with does, and this means mature bucks are not available to cover the other receptive does. This is where the young bucks step in.

Now you know that all bucks on your property will participate in the rut each year. What’s next, and how does this work into your deer management program? Simply said: Be highly critical of all bucks found on your property, regardless of age, if you are interested in improving the quality of the bucks in the future. Improving any whitetail herd through deer management comes down to controlling age, genetics and nutrition. In the case of bucks that participate during the rut, age may not be important, but genetics certainly are.

When it comes to deer hunting you just have to love late September in Texas. It is at this time of year that hard-antlered bucks show hunters really what they have to offer, and hunters search the woods for sign left by these pre-rut bucks. As testosterone levels rise, bucks remove the velvet that covered their growing antlers for the past 6 months. The act of a buck rubbing his antlers against a trees not only removes the dead, rotting velvet, but also helps strengthen the deer’s neck, shoulders and body as he prepares to do battle with his summertime friends.

September is rarely a time for hunting deer in Texas, except during those years when the Saturday closest to October 1st happens to be in September. No, most of all this month signals that deer hunters had better get their acts together. It’s time for placing out those last minute stands and deer feeders. It’s time for talking about deer, buying seed, and planting winter food plots. It is during this time of year that the eager hunter anticipates each trip to the game camera, never knowing what he or she may have captured.

Most landowners participating in Texas’ Managed Lands Deer Permit deer management program have already wrapped up their deer surveys for the year, have received their harvest recommendations, and are ready to start working on achieving their harvest goals. It Texas, so it seems, a deer managers work is never done.

The recent cool front that pushed through most of the state this past week has really got the deer acting a bit frisky. No, I’m not eluding that the rut is on, at least not in most parts of the state. But believe it or not, research has found that many deer do rut during the month of September. In some instances, fawns are even conceived during late August! This is not the norm for the bulk of the state, but for deer living in the Gulf Prairies and Marshes this is not uncommon. Data from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department found that the peak breeding date for white-tailed deer in the northern portion of the coastal prairies was… September 30.

But just as some does breed early, some deer will breed late. This can cause confusion among hunters because one hunter will proclaim the rut is over in an area while another argues just the opposite. It’s the ole early rut versus the late rut argument. The truth is that deer will be bred throughout the fall and winter. Most of the older does will come into estrus earlier with the younger does following. Fawns born this year can also be bred by bucks in late winter, such as during January and February.

This weekend I plan on heading out to do some bowhunting in Colorado County. From past experience, I fully expect to see some bucks chasing, but I’ve been wrong before. I guess that’s why deer hunting and deer management are two different things. It’s easier to manage a population of deer than it is to hunt a specific deer. But I enjoy the challenge and hope to learn a little more each time I walk into the woods.

The white-tailed deer gun opener was slow in Central and North Central Texas. The second weekend was not much better. However, cooler temperatures and good reports of rutting bucks moving throughout much of the state should make this coming weekend a great time to head out deer hunting! Although much of the state’s abundant acorn crop is now depleted, deer still have a choice between cool season forbs and lush winter food plots (where they exists). Areas that were barren during the summer are now a hodge-podge of high-protein forbs.

Except for the last couple of months, 2009 has been a tough year for most of Texas’ white-tailed deer population. The preceding winter, spring, and summer were dry. Very dry. Extremely dry. But all of that has changed. Deer that were in poor to fair body condition during the summer have gorged on fat-rich acorns are now looking to be in good shape. Although many ranches are reporting that deer body weights are lower this year compared to previous years, rainfall received during September and October have ”saved” the year.

Winter food plots, which are typically the most reliable plots, found themselves high and dry at this time last year. But not this fall. Anyone that stuck a seed in the ground is now the beneficiary of a lush food plot, regardless of what was planted. Recently, however, not all food plots were being hit hard. I suspect that many hunters that were reporting low food plot use by deer up until now should find that cooler temperatures will move more deer onto those plots, and earlier in the day.

More deer is a good thing, especially during the rut! I’ve received reports from throughout much of the state, except South Texas, of bucks following does for the past couple of weeks, but I’ve seen a marked increase in chasing activity over the past four to five days. Central Texas hunters heading to the field over the next week should expect to see good action. If you can find the does you will find the bucks, and deer should be hitting food sources well thanks to cool, brisk weather over much of the state.

As always, make sure to keep the deer population in check with available habitat. On average, the body condition of deer has increased greatly going into the fall thanks to a solid acorn crop and additional forage provided by much-needed precipitation. Antler quality has not improved; lower than average antler growth was a result of the tough winter, spring, and summer we experience through most of Texas. However, keeping proper deer numbers where you hunt is an important component of deer and habitat management.

Too many deer means less food per mouth, and if the rain turns off, next year could be particularly tough since we are still way behind on total rainfall. In short, don’t hesitate to harvest deer where needed. Get out and enjoy the cooler weather and put yourself in posititon to take advantage of increased white-tailed deer rutting activity. And remember, squeeze the trigger!

As hunters prepare to head to the field this weekend for the opening of Texas’ general deer hunting season, white-tailed deer in the central part of the state have already begun their rutting activity. Cooler weather combined with the last week in October is a recipe to kick off the deer breeding season in the Hill Country and, yes, bucks are already chasing does!

As a matter of fact, I received a report from Coryell County late last week that several bucks were following does closely. In addition to decreasing photoperiod, the cold front that rolled through the central Texas on Sunday night really put the bucks on the move, so we know does are cycling into estrous. A number of biological and behavioural changes are dependent on photoperiod, but cooler weather always seems to put bucks on the move.

Over the last week, I’ve seen several white-tailed bucks that were road-killed — a sure sign that bucks are not thinking straight. Then Monday morning, I spotted two different bucks chasing does in Burnet County where I typically do not see deer. If you are planning on heading to the field this week to bag your buck be prepared to see some rutting activity and stay a little longer – because rutting deer can move anytime. But if you don’t bag your buck during the early rut this weekend, don’t worry. The rut peaks on the eastern part of the Hill Country around November 10 and the central and western parts near November 30.