The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) posted a photo to their blog from a Pennsylvania member who captured a doe seemingly caring for six fawns.
After capturing the oddity on his trail camera Shawn Koontz asked the pro’s at the QDMA about the picture and the likelihood of all these fawns belonging to one single doe.
According to the QDMA, twins are the norm in most populations of deer, but an estimated 15 to 20 percent of does will actually bear triplets in high quality habitat. This being said, the bearing of six fawns is believed to be highly unlikely as the QDMA is unaware of any documented cases of a wild doe giving birth to four or more surviving fawns.
What likely happened in these photos is either there is another mother or two simply not captured in the frame of the picture or this is a rare case of a doe fostering orphaned fawns who might have lost their mother to predators or a vehicle collision.
Either way, it’s a great photo and undoubtedly encouraging seeing six healthy, young fawns.
