Maternal Age and Fawn Rearing Success for White-tailed Deer in Illinois

-Fawn survival during the 1st yr postpartum was determined for marked whitetailed does (Odocoileus virginianus) at three locations in Illinois. Fawns born to 2-yr-old does died at significantly higher annual rates (24%) than fawns born to younger (<10%) or older does (15%). Losses of fawns before weaning were not different among doe age classes but differed among years, ranging from 11% to 82% of total annual fawn mortality. Higher mortality of fawns born to 2-yr-old does appears to relate more to social behaviors such as loss of support by matriarchal does than to differences among age classes of does in habitat selection or in movement to areas where the hazard to fawns from hunting and highway accidents would be higher.