By Charles J. Alsheimer As the temperature rises and we retreat to our air-conditioned homes, some folks may wonder how deer manage to handle the heat of summer. A whitetail can cool down two ways – through their mouth or ears. Panting, similar to a dog, will allow some heat to escape through a deer’s mouth. […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer Whitetail bucks aren’t the only ones growing by leaps and bounds during the warm summer months. By the time a fawn enters its second month of life it begins transitioning toward adulthood. At six to eight weeks of age fawns have become much more mobile and independent than the first few weeks […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer The role of natural habitat is often overlooked by hunters. It shouldn’t be. Throughout the summer months whitetails consume 6 to 10 pounds of leaves each day from preferred browse species, forbs and agricultural offerings. In some areas of the whitetail’s range its diet can be made up of over 500 natural […]
This blog was launched on May 30 with a photo of a fawn I photographed in our 35-acre research facility, a few hours after birth. Though not unusual, what has taken place since then has been very interesting. The doe has twin fawns and she keeps them in very thick cover along a stream that runs through […]
For a doe to outlive her reproductive years, several variables must be present. Our research editor examines the variables and explains the science behind age, reproduction and herd health.