One of the most interesting things I have seen this week while deer hunting after school was a fawn with spots. Also of note was the fact that the deer still had its reddish summer coat.
Very little hard mast in the form of acorns exists in the Virginia and West Virginia woods where I have been afield and such staples as wild grapes and persimmons also seem to be lacking in the places where I have been as well.
Given the lack of food, I really wonder if this fawn has much of a chance of survival. I observed it twice this week, once when it was alone and the second time when it was with a matriarchal doe unit. Being part of such a group should certainly help the whitetail's chances of living through the winter.
On the other hand, Mother Nature is a notoriously cruel mistress, and a cold winter alone could spell doom for the fawn, let alone predators and a scarcity of food.
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