Deer dispersal?

[Tengoose1]

Lets say the river comes up during the time does have there fawns. If they have there fawns up in the hills when they return to the bottom ground do the fawns disperse back to the hills where they were born or do they stay in the river bottom when the mother runs them off?

 

[Chainsaw]

Welcome to the forum Tengoose1. Hypothetical questions are difficult to answer and I am having a difficult time interpreting your question. Could you reword that for us slower guys and maybe provide more details on what you have seen to help us understand it more?
Thanks.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I am assuming Ten is talking about the heavy flooding we are having in the Midwest. And I am assuming he is meaning the deer have moved up out of the bottoms to get away from the water. I think you will be fine Ten, the deer will move back to the bottoms after a few days when the water recedes. Even if a fawn is born I would imagine that the doe will lead the fawn back to her home range which will in time become that fawn doe's home range. If it is a buck fawn more than likely it will disperse after fawning anyway.

 

[Tengoose1]

What I'm wondering is the does are pushed to the hills when the river bottom floods they have there fawns in the hills it will be a few weeks before they can return to the bottoms do the fawns come back to the hills or stay in the bottom when they disperse the following spring beings they were born in the hills?

 

[useyourbow]

I believe he is wondering if where they are born is imprinted on them. I am not a biologist but for most mammals they are taught most of what they know so like mentioned previously. The fawns will learn from their mother. The doe fawns will most likely either mirror their mothers home range or at least over lap. The buck fawns will be forced away by their mothers.

 

[Chainsaw]

Now I get it. The flooding does happen here in the marshes that are along the lake and in fact are flooded now at a height not seen since the 1990's. Once the water settles down as Blizzard has said the fawns follow the mother back to her home range. Where the young bucks disperse the following spring or fall is anyone's guess. I only know from studies done by others. The young bucks will disperse and roam until they settle on a spot or group of other males to hang with. It could be two miles away, the hills they might remember or someplace many, many miles away.

Some young does will disperse as well to find fawning cover if it is too crowded in its home range according to studies done. (described in book Whitetail Spring by John Ozoga)

 

[Baker]

I grew up on an 8000 acre property in North La. that lies between the Ms. river levee and the river. Flooding is an annual common event and I've seen the entire property flooded before. Fairly common for flooding to happen during fawning and in fact there is significant flooding happening now that may not recede for nearly a month.

I offer that background to say that it appears to me that the fawns stay on the property irrespective of where they are born. Many does go across the levee during flooding and give birth there. As soon as the water is down they return home taking newly borns with them. The fawns may disperse elsewhere on the property but not necessarily back across the levee as witnessed by the fact that population control is always an issue on that extremely fertile country.

 

[Tengoose1]

Thanks guys the reason I ask is several years back I seen a group of 12 to 15 young deer and that's the only reasoning I can come up with as to why they would be like that.