Idaho’s mule deer fawns and elk calves are doing pretty good – for the moment. The latest statewide winter survival data found that 67% of fawns and 93% of calves (with collars) have survived through mid-March; however, late March and April can be the toughest time for young animals, according to a news release.

With their fat reserves largely depleted, late March and April can be hard as their digestive systems aren’t ready to handle the fresh, green forage. Instead, their systems need a bit of time to convert. Further, cold, wet weather can affect mule deer fawn survival – and biologists often see winter-related mortality even into late May.

“Right now, in the middle of April, things are looking promising for both deer and elk,” said Toby Boudreau Idaho Fish and Game’s (IDFG) Deer and Elk Coordinator. “We’ll know for sure what survival will look like in the coming month, after we’ve tallied up the final numbers.”

According to IDFG, the long-term average for a fawn’s first winter survival is about 60%, but hard winter weather can push that number lower. This year’s percentages come from the 173 mule deer fawns and 178 elk calves collared by IDFG earlier in the winter in order to track herd health and survival rates.

Here’s a comparison to this year’s 67% of collared fawns and 93% of collared calves still alive (as of mid-March) to other years:

“Fawn weights, which indicate how likely they are to survive winter, were high in many places in southern Idaho when we captured and collared fawns in December and January, and we have so far observed above-average survival,” said Toby Boudreau. “Heavier fawns and mild winters are good for mule deer populations.”