Fl Panhandle rut map

[FL-NC]

The Fl rut map is one of the craziest charts I have ever seen. Our rut and deer season extend into Feb in this area! Not only did I see a spotted fawn with the doe on Halloween, I saw a spotted fawn on her own yesterday! Does anywhere else have a rut like this?

 

[22250Rem]

Rut's over here on the south side of Lake Ontario where we basically share the weather with southern, Ontario, Canada. I knew the rut was a lot different down there but the last time I saw spots on a fawn was mid-September and even then they were fading out quickly because the winter coat was coming in.

 

[Patocazador]

Florida deer rut from August til February. In the south of the state they are tropical deer and rut most of the year but many rut in August-Sept. Back when there were almost no deer in Fla. the state brought in deer from all over. Back in the late '60's my FIL killed a huge buck near Ft. Myers that had a Wisc. tag in his ear. Depending on where the deer came from, they rut at the same time as where their original home was.

Where I live the deer rut about the middle of Nov. but 25 miles south they rut in Feb.

 

[22250Rem]

Very interesting....... Now I'm just wondering about those fawns with spots. I was looking up information on the coats of Whitetail deer and found that their winter coat consists of thicker, longer, and darker hairs, called guard hairs, while also growing a thicker undercoat. The winter coat absorbs more sunlight and traps more body heat. This was listed as an adaptation of Whitetails to extreme cold and possibly may not happen in Florida (?). If that were the case it could help explain fawns with spots in late November. As per my previous post, the spots on fawns around here are rapidly fading away by mid- September and by November they have their full winter coat with zero sign of any spots. I've always heard about how the rut changes further south but never heard of spotted fawns this late in the year, even as far south as Florida. Are spotted fawns common this time of year? One neat thing about deer is that I'm always learning something new .

 

[FL-NC]

Very interesting....... Now I'm just wondering about those fawns with spots. I was looking up information on the coats of Whitetail deer and found that their winter coat consists of thicker, longer, and darker hairs, called guard hairs, while also growing a thicker undercoat. The winter coat absorbs more sunlight and traps more body heat. This was listed as an adaptation of Whitetails to extreme cold and possibly may not happen in Florida (?). If that were the case it could help explain fawns with spots in late November. As per my previous post, the spots on fawns around here are rapidly fading away by mid- September and by November they have their full winter coat with zero sign of any spots. I've always heard about how the rut changes further south but never heard of spotted fawns this late in the year, even as far south as Florida. Are spotted fawns common this time of year? One neat thing about deer is that I'm always learning something new .

Like I said in my original post- I saw one last week, and my friend is seeing them regularly still on his trail cams. The first one I saw last year (when I moved here) on a trail cam this late, I was sure it was mange or something like that. The map also puts the mean date of conception in Feb-March, so...

 

[FL-NC]

Florida deer rut from August til February. In the south of the state they are tropical deer and rut most of the year but many rut in August-Sept. Back when there were almost no deer in Fla. the state brought in deer from all over. Back in the late '60's my FIL killed a huge buck near Ft. Myers that had a Wisc. tag in his ear. Depending on where the deer came from, they rut at the same time as where their original home was.

Where I live the deer rut about the middle of Nov. but 25 miles south they rut in Feb.

Interesting. Like I said- All over the place!