JEFF BURLESON Late-season doe harvests, although not preferred by biologists and deer managers, can provide some good information about the health of the herd and the timing of the rut.

In most areas in the Carolinas, the primary rut is over by the time December rolls around, and the majority of does are pregnant. Many end up on the skinning rack, destined to become mouth-watering sausage and tender steaks.

While late-season doe harvests are generally not preferred, the deer harvest in December is heavily weighted towards females. Many hunters wait until the last few weeks of the season to get their share of venison for themselves and neighbors. Harvest and habitat-management decisions can be made from key reproductive data gathered from harvested does, as well as predicting the timing of the actual rut.

The length and number of fetuses directly relates to the overall productivity of the herd in a local area. For instance, a lack of fetuses in late-season does is generally not a good sign. Few impregnated does at this time of year suggests a lack of sufficient mature males within the area to breed all of the available does. In that case, the buck-to-doe ratio is disrupted and must be corrected. Either the mature buck harvest should be reduced or the doe harvest must be increased.

Other population and habitat-quality data must be examined to determine if excess does are present before changing harvesting prescriptions. Specifically, overall deer density must be determined and correlated with the amount of available habitat sufficient enough to support the herd. Multiple fetuses observed is a direct sign of abundant available food and is also suggestive of available foods with a high protein content. Does with single or no fetuses can suggest poor habitat conditions or lack of suitable mature bucks as mentioned before.

Fetus length from crown-to-rump is directly proportional to the period of conception. Does must have been bred for at least 35 to 40 days to be considered measurable, but pregnancy can usually be determined a week or two before. Gender can be determined after 60 days from conception. Fetus scales can be obtained from outdoors supplier stores (www.forestrysuppliers.com or www.qdma.com) for less than $9.

One of the most popular is the JIM-GEM Fetus Scale, specifically made for whitetail deer; it can determine days since conception and days until birth. As a note, evidence of current lactation is only a sign of a prior year pregnancy and is not a sign of a current pregnancy.

If enough fetus lengths are collected in a given year, the peak of the rut can be determined. If a considerable collection of data is gathered over a period of several years, the timing of the rut can easily be determined and effectively-forecasted for the approaching deer seasons.

Wood duck boxes are a limiting factor in Carolinas

While December really does not seem like the right time to mess with wood duck nest boxes, especially when the duck season in full swing, late fall and early winter is the optimal period to provide and maintain adequate nesting structures for wood ducks, which are commonly referred to as “summer ducks.” Suitable nesting structures are critical for successful breeding.

The four major flyways transport hundreds of thousands of ducks from summer brooding grounds in the northern United States and Canada. Mallards, black ducks, teal, wigeon, red heads, scaup, and other puddle and diving ducks raise their young within the nutrient-rich and protected tundra and pot holes before they venture on their southern journey during the season.

The wood duck, however, comprises a large portion of the duck harvest in North Carolina and South Carolina. They raise their young in the swamps and lowlands. Although some wood ducks on the eastern flyway summer winter in other states, North Carolina and South Carolina are critical states for wood duck production.

Unlike the massive undeveloped regions of the northern breeding grounds, the wood duck’s nesting range and available habitat is dwindling or being crowded by development. Fortunately, beavers have peppered the landscape with dams, impounding thousands of stream reaches and improving available habitat for wood ducks.

Wood ducks nest within dead snags above or near bodies of water. Available nest cavities is a limiting factor, and other problems exist: dump nesting and foreign usage. When few nest cavities are available, several hen wood ducks will lay their eggs within an already established nest, but they will abandon them thereafter. Wood duck hens can successfully incubate 10 to 14 eggs at a time. The remaining hen is left with too many eggs to incubate. Sometimes dump nests will have 30 to 40 eggs. European starlings and screech owls will quickly take over a natural or artificial cavity, preventing wood ducks from nesting as well.

Woodies will readily accept artificial nesting cavities, and as many as possible should be constructed. Boxes should be built to proper specifications, with predator guards, cedar construction, kerf cuts, cedar shavings, etc. Boxes should be placed either over water or adjacent to water, without any branches from surrounding trees touching the box. Late fall and early winter are prime times to construct and erect nesting structures for wood ducks.

For more information about construction and placement of wood duck boxes visit SC Department of Natural Resources website (www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/waterfowl/wood duck/index.html) or the NC Wildlife Resources Commission website (www.ncwildlife.org/pg07_WildlifeSpeciesCon/Woodduck.pdf).