I've heard it said that a doe will drive her fawns away when she's ready to breed. Is this actually true? I hunt Cahaba which supposedly should be in rut right now. I understand not all doe will be ready at the same time but they should be pretty close shouldn't they? As I was driving out Saturday night, I jumped a doe with 2 fawns. I got a pretty good look at them in my headlights as they ran down the road in front of me for awhile before cutting back into the woods, they were not yearlings, definitely fawns.

So here are the questions:

Will a doe actually push fawns out of her space when she is ready to breed or is this just some old hunting lore?

If they do drive them out, how far in advance of actually going into estrous will they do it?

With respect to does in estrous, from the time the first doe enters estrous, how long until the last doe enters estrous? I'm talking about the initial or primary rut period? I understand that not all does will even come into estrous the first go around. I'm just trying to figure out why I ran off a doe with 2 fawns at a time when I'm thinking fawns should already be on their own.

You're on a roll tonight

All these questions came up Saturday but this is first chance I've had.

Always trying to learn something.

I always see the fawns on the same food sources the momma just is not with them for a few days. I dont think they drive them away the doe just slips out for a few then comes right back to mommaville

Fawns dont go with mama when that big buck is chasing her all over the country. Theyll get back together when mama gets done. She will eventually run off a buck fawn. That yearling doe you see with her was her little girl from last year. Next year when theres 3 fawns with her, 2 are hers and 1 belongs to her little girl........I believe this is pretty close to how it works around here anyways.

You see a lot of lone button bucks in these parts in late December and January.

Yep. And that's why it's best to shoot does before the rut comes in because chances are that lone deer you see during January in our parts is a nubber.

yer confusing things. does don't run the fawns off during the peak of the rut. The dang bucks run the mommas around and the fawns stay put. You will see plenty of lone fawns right now. A month from now (here) you will see does and fawns together again after the does are bred. The doe will run the button bucks later in the Spring to early summer.

A sure sign the rut is on is sighting lone fawns.

Ok so when I see a doe with 2 fawns it just means that a buck hasn't gotten after her yet?

Yes she is not ready to breed or is already bred