Merritt Mulie doe with 3 fawns

[Ruffed]

Was out hunting yesterday and I saw watched a Mule deer doe and her 3 fawns feeding right past me at 30 yards. I don't think I've ever seen a doe with 3 fawns...at least I don't remember that. As I watched her I thought wow, what a wise strong old doe she is to have guided her little ones past coyotes, bears, cougars, lynx and wolves and still have 3 little ones behind her. I thought maybe they were a bit on the smaller side but they still have 2 good eating months ahead of them to fatten up for winter.

Henry

[adamgarbett]

On my cam a few years back
http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww23/twojoints444/trail%20cam%20pics%202011/PRMS0017.jpg (http://s702.photobucket.com/user/twojoints444/media/trail%20cam%20pics%202011/PRMS0017.jpg.html)

[Ruffed]

Nice Pic...I took a video on my cell phone but I can hardly make anything out.

Henry

[6pt_elk_wannabe]

It's definitely a little rare but I ocasionally see a doe with three fawns

[GoatGuy]

Cool! Extremely rare, even twins are not that common for mule deer.

[Trojans16]

Very cool. I've seen a lot of healthy looking fawns in the summer and early fall in region 3 this year.

[Ruffed]

2 years ago I saw coyote scat and coyotes all of the place in this area. Not so much now. That could have an impact on fawn survival rates.

I can see a doe having 3 fawns, but to have them survive into late September is pretty amazing for me. She's obviously been around and knows where to go and what to look out for.

Henry

[Rob]

Maybe she's babysitting one of them....

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Could be triplets or the other mother could be just out of the picture.
Have seen that many times on tcam pictures.

SSS

[Mikey Rafiki]

The majority of mule deer I've seen this year have twins. Pretty much every time I run into a doe or a group of doe's they are averaging 2 fawns each. I hope this gives them a little boost.

[358mag]

Cool! Extremely rare, even twins are not that common for mule deer.

Have a local back yard doe that's had 3 fawns for the last 3 years in a row . Must be all the chemicals they use in the local orchards ......

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Have a local back yard doe that's had 3 fawns for the last 3 years in a row . Must be all the chemicals they use in the local orchards ......

Those urban deer sure have it easy. No wonder they're so (re)productive.

SSS

[Ruffed]

It's possible she was babysitting but there was only one other deer with them and it was a very small doe...a year and a half old.

Henry