Overall, fawn ratios were similar or slightly above the long-term average. The results from Weiser-McCall DAU were noteworthy, where biologists observed the highest fawn:doe ratios dating back to 2011.  

Biologists observed an uptick in the fawn:doe ratio in the Smoky-Boise DAU (71 fawns:100 does) in 2024, up about 13 percent from the long-term average and up 7 percent from 2023, but it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.  

Generally, a higher fawn:doe ratio is a good thing: More does with fawns means more deer are recruited into the population as adults, roughly half of which will be bucks available for hunters to harvest in the fall, right?  

The answer is sometimes, but it depends. 

For years, there have been indications that the mule deer in the Smoky-Boise DAU have been nearing carrying capacity – particularly in Unit 39. Fawn weights – which biologists collect when they capture and GPS collar mule deer fawns for survival monitoring – were below average in this DAU again this year, particularly in GMU 39, suggesting that deer are competing for limited resources.