Mowing & Fawns

[bigbendmarine]

Did a quick search on the subject and didn't see a thread so thought I would start one. Apologies if already well addressed!

Just curious to find out more about how folks avoid hitting fawns when mowing after birthing season.

The past few years, I've just avoided mowing fields all together until early fall food plot work, instead just keeping cut lanes around my fields clear so I've been able to drive around them. Couple of weeks ago even just cutting the outer perimeter with short grass I came within inches of hitting a fawn along the EDGE of the lane I keep clear.

So questions I have:

1) Approximately how old have y'all found fawns need to be before they'll run from danger versus ducking?

2) Do those of you doing throw & mow during summer have issues hitting fawns or do you have any proven practices that help you avoid them?

3) Appreciating fawns are birthed on different dates (and appreciating regional location certainly will move the answer to what I'm about to ask), for those that avoid mowing for some period of time, what month / date do you generally feel good about resuming mowing?

4) Finally, any random tips members have found helpful to get fawns to move versus being hit?

Got a few "jungly" areas I would love to work in soon, but past few weeks every single time I've driven by them does have popped up, stared at me WITHOUT quickly running away, and thus worrying me that I best not do any work in the area just quite yet.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Walking through the areas first is about the only way, but that isn't a for sure bet either.

 

[j-bird]

I agree with walking the area.....take your time and if you have a dog or two available that will help as well as many animals will run from a dog well before they will a person. You think you will see them if your mowing.....most of the time - it's too late if you even do see them. Fawns and turkey nests are another nearly impossible thing to see as well.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I went so far as to consider the peak breeding season in my area and count back 200-205 days. Of course it's a bell curve but in my area most fawns hit the ground around July 4th. I don't mow at all between about June 25th to July 25th.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Depending how big of plot, but mowing by hand with a weed whip is what I do most of the time, but my plots are less then an acre in size.

 

[bigbendmarine]

4wanderingeyes, have 1 or 2 small plots I might could manage manually but about all together have about 25 acres of fields I cut from time to time.

Boll Weevil, thanks for the window. Not much different than my own as I get my first game captures of fawns mid to late June, and by watching does know many are delivering in July. Still can't help but wonder roughly how old the fawns have to be to willingly run from the tractor? Days, weeks, or month (or more)? I've been waiting to September time frame and with near daily coastal popup storms in humid North Florida you can probably imagine how quickly things get "jungly" with such a long pause in cutting!