Pretty younguns

[mrs.oroblanco]

Pretty younguns'

I love it when this years babies venture out without their mothers!! Like these two.

Don't know where mommy was.

Beth

 

[lookindown]

Re: Pretty younguns'

Great pic.

 

[bbqbull]

Re: Pretty younguns'

Sweet photo, thank's for sharing.

 

[civilman1]

Re: Pretty younguns'

I call them Shikscabob Nice pic Mrs. O

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: Pretty younguns'

Thank you.

I think there are more deer and turkey in town then outside town - they know you cannot 'kabob' them here, so, come hunting season, they
actually come into town in droves.

Beth

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Pretty younguns'

I've seen just that in S. Dakota mrs O; in Rapid City. There were deer EVERYWHERE! Those guys better grow up fast; it's getting late in the year.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: Pretty younguns'

packbacker,

We are about 70 miles from Rapid City - and, I think you are right - it happens in most of the towns around here.

Seems like the young ones are a little late this year (compared to normally), but the bucks started their antlers this year earlier.

I'm not sure if the record-breaking weather is the cause, or what. There was lots of rain and good green grass, the does are in great shape, they seemed to shed out earlier than normal, too. So far, all the babies we have seen are still in that stage of growth. (size, spots, etc). The pics I took last August has them a little bigger, less spots than this year.

I'm going to try and get the turkeys today or tomorrow, we have a tree that they all nest in - and the baby turks are now able to get up there with the mommys. (some are still 'roosting' at the bottom of the tree, with their babies).

Either way - it does seem like they are all a little late - and, strangely, it seems like the rabbits didn't multiply quite as much this year. The birds (the regular ones, not the big ones) have had a good year, though. We have a few that are just kicking out their 3rd broods for the year - I have never seen them (here) raise 3 broods.

Beth

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Pretty younguns'

we have a rhode island brooding on about 20 eggs right now too.

 

[Felinepeachy]

Re: Pretty younguns'

Beth, those are just beautiful. How old are they at that size? I saw one killed on the side of the road the other day and it was just a baby a bit smaller than those in your pic.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: Pretty younguns'

I'm going to have to take a guess on their ages - but, I'm thinking they were probably born late June/July, which is late around here by about 2 weeks or so. It did seem like they were not in rut yet, when we left last October.

Rut is approximately November time frame, but there were still "bachelors" hanging together October 18th last year. So, these guys are probably 6 weeks old - maybe? They carry for 7 months, so, giving that I think they were a little late (we could still see pregnant does at the end of June), that's probably in the ballpark. But, grazing has been great this year - lots of good grass makes lots of milk, which makes fast growing babies. Usually, by now, the does are looking a little on the thinner side, but they are all still fat.

Even a little more strange, we seem to have alot of triplets and several quads this year, too. We have an old rancher neighbor (about 85 years old) told me the other day that we were going to have a bad winter when the does drop late and there are a lot of triplets and quads. I'm not sure, but either this pair, or the one of the other ones who hang around the house all the time, lost one last week - got hit by a quad runner. (we have 3 does that are here almost all the time - they sleep in the tall grass about 20 yards from where this picture was taken), and they quite often leave their babies there altogether while they go feed. All three had twins last year, and 2 had twins and one had only one the year before (not sure if any died somewhere). Unfortunately, we did lose a doe earlier this year - she was injured or sick, and the animal officer put her down.
I'm not really sure if she was sick, but I know she had a bad leg, and she just kept getting skinnier and skinnier. (we have been having problems with wasting disease, but I don't think she had that, since they didn't call in the state.

One of the does that hang around all the time is dangerous - she killed the next door neighbors dog 3 years ago, and came after me either last year or the year before, and Roy chased her with with a shovel, and actually smacked her with it. She doesn't chase me anymore. (she doesn't run, either), but she is a super mommy, and manages to have all the biggest bucks around her, so I think she is one of the "matrons" around here. She is the one I posted pictures of last year - trying her best to figure out how to get over the 6 foot garden fence. She is a smart one, too, it took her all of a half hour to realize the day I left the gate open. She went right between the truck and the house to go through the gate.

Beth