June 2, 2019
Fawn season is upon us. Fawns are cute, fast, and dangerous. During June and July, the coyotes prey upon fawns. In daylight, coyotes prefer to hunt the field edges, rather than venture into the open. The doe put their offspring where the predators are not, leaving the fawns bedded in the tall grass while they feed in the woods. Unfortunately, our dogs hunt the tall grass. The dog cannot smell the fawn, but the fawn senses its presence and runs for the woods and mom. The dog gives chase. The trouble starts in the woods. The doe will put herself between the dog and the fawn, like she does with the coyotes. Emboldened, the dog will advance and the doe will raise its front feet to stomp the dog. If the doe strikes the dog, the dog will be hurt quickly and badly. A couple of years ago, my friend, Jan in Wisconsin, lost her master hunter to an encounter with a doe. By the time she ran to the woods, her dog was on the ground unable to get up. The next day, an aneurysm formed in the damaged aorta and ruptured, killing the dog. Also a couple of years ago, a club member put up a fawn by the horse corral. The e-collar would not stop the dog, so he sprinted to the woods. The doe was between the dog and the fawn. He collared the dog before anything happened. In fawn season, do not have your dog off lease at the club without an e-collar. On your e-collar transmitter, program one button on continuous low for training and one button on continuous high for “trash”, deer, skunks, and snakes. Collar settings vary with the dog; find out what works for your dog before you go to the field. The trash button makes the dog yelp in pain and promptly return to your side, no matter how excited it is. Ensure that the transmitter and collar are fully charged; a drained transmitter does not have full signal strength. Test the transmitter and the collar before you buckle it to the dog. Errors are lethal; all components must work. When you walk a field, walk on the high ground so you can see the dog at all times. In fields #2, 3, and 4, the tractor road is the high ground. Never let the dog get out of sight. Call the dog back in if it goes out too far. A doe will deposit a fawn in unlikely places, like next to the club house. Be vigilant. You may jump three fawns in a 30 minute walk or none. If your collar fails to persuade the dog to return, sprint to the woods. You have seconds to collar the dog before the doe escalates the encounter. Regards, Charles ___________________________ Charles W. Tuttle 4 Checkerberry Square Greensboro, NC 27455 Cell 336-202-4592 tuttlecw@triad.rr.com