For whitetail hunters, one of the most highly anticipated and talked about times of the fall hunting season is the rut. And for good reason. During this portion of the season bucks are constantly on the move from one area to the next looking for a receptive doe. While this could be a great opportunity to harvest a mature buck, have you ever stopped to think about what happens afterwards?
This article will cover the stages of whitetail reproduction that come after the rut. Answering questions like “How long are deer pregnant?” and “When do whitetail deer give birth?”. By answering these questions hunters can gain a better understanding of the whitetails that live on their hunting property and start to narrow in on when the rut is at its peak in their area.
Whitetail Deer Breeding Season (The Rut)
The rut, or the whitetail mating season, occurs during the fall, as days start to get shorter. In most of the Midwest and areas north, the breeding season starts in late October and peaks in November. However, in the southern most states, breeding often happens later and can stretch into January and early February.
The decreased day length triggers hormonal changes in females (does) which causes them to come into heat. A doe will stay in heat for roughly 24 hours. If she is not bred during that time, she usually cycles again roughly 28 day (a month) later.
How Long Are Deer Pregnant? Whitetail Deer Gestation Period
To be honest, before writing this article I had no idea what the gestation period for whitetail females was.
After researching, I found that multiple wildlife resource agencies report that the whitetail deer gestation period, or pregnancy, lasts about 200 days or 6.5 to 7 months on average.
The following is a breakdown of my findings while researching the reproductive cycles and gestation period for whitetail deer.
- The University of Wisconsin notes that fawns are born in late spring after a gestation period of around 200 days ansci.wisc.edu.
- Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources states that fawns are born in May–June after about 200 days of gestation dnr.maryland.gov.
- Illinois’ deer ecology guide lists the gestation period at 200–210 days and notes that births usually occur in May–June deer.wildlifeillinois.org.
- Maine’s Inland Fisheries & Wildlife site reports that gestation lasts roughly 200 days maine.gov.
- Montana State University notes that whitetail fawns are born in late May and June after a gestation of approximately 202 days (about seven months) animalrangeextension.montana.edu.
- New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection records that gestation takes 200–210 days dep.nj.gov.
- Texas Parks & Wildlife used an average of 200 days from conception to estimate fawning dates tpwd.texas.gov.
Fawn Birth And Timing
Most whitetail deer give birth in the time frame of early spring to early summer.
In the Midwest and northern states, the majority of fawns are typically born from late May through June, with some fawns being born as early as April or as late as July.
However, the warmer climates, longer growing seasons, and later rut in southern regions of the U.S. cause females to give birth in the later summer months, often into July, August, and sometimes early September.
Implications For Hunters And Land Management
So why should a hunter care about the length of a whitetails pregnancy? If you know when the majority of fawns are being born on your particular hunting property you can backtrack to determine when the majority of the breeding is occurring on your property.
For example, if a doe drops a fawn in May or early June, It usually means she was bred in mid-November. This means peak rut was likely occurring during this timeframe and the week before was likely a great time to be in the stand to catch bucks cruising.
Land managers also benefit from understanding gestation. Fawn drop season affects when it’s safe to mow fields or do habitat work. Waiting until fawns are mobile lowers the chance of harming them.
Key uses of gestation knowledge:
- Plan hunts around rut peaks
- Adjust land work to avoid fawn season
- Track herd health and reproduction
Healthy herds depend on timing. By watching fawn drop windows, managers can judge if nutrition and habitat support does and their young. This information guides decisions about food plots, harvest goals, and habitat improvements.
