Drivers should watch for deer during fawning season

It’s fawning season, and drivers on post are asked to watch out for deer on and along the roadways.

Doe gestation is about 105 days until the birthing of their fawns, Lt. Aaron Hanson, the supervisory conservation officer at Redstone, said last week, and “we are currently at 129 days in this process.” Fawns typically will be hidden by their mother in tall grass or under bushes while she goes off to forage for food, he said, and during their first three to four weeks of life, the fawns will only feed from their mother’s milk.

At the end of that process, the fawns will start to forage on solid foods, become curious and start to wander, he said. “At two months of life, fawns will become much more mobile, and their diet will consist primarily of solid foods.”

Considerable rain or watershed will force fawns up closer to the roads, Hanson said at the June 11 Redstone Community Update.

His presentation included tips for drivers: don’t overdrive your headlights, obey the speed limit, scan roadways and roadsides ahead of you, slow down when deer are observed on or near roadways and be vigilant when entering deer crossing areas marked by signs.

“More often than not, if you see a fawn alone, it has become separated from its mother,” he said. Anyone who sees a fawn should reach out to Redstone dispatch at 256-544-9913 to report its location and situation as timely as possible. “One of our staff will respond and attempt to rejoin it with its mother,” he said.

The conservation staff’s risk mitigation measures to help protect this wildlife include briefing Redstone police on slowing down traffic in heavily populated deer areas, emailing Redstone residents through the housing office to avoid feeding or interacting with them and briefing grounds maintenance supervisors to remind their tractor operators of the fawning season and to stay vigilant.

In another presentation, Deputy Police Chief Dennis Brown reported that the number of weapons violations at Redstone has reached 47 for the 2025 fiscal year through June 11. The number of violations was 45 for all of fiscal year 2024.

On June 6, the number of violations was at 43, according to Brown, but “we picked up four over the weekend so now we’re sitting at 47.”

The cases over the weekend involved “a couple of retirees and a couple of non-DOD personnel trying to get on the installation and unfortunately (they) didn’t declare their weapons and were captured.”

Federal law prohibits the possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons on federal facilities by individuals who are not specifically authorized. Signs warning “unregistered weapons prohibited” are posted at each gate.

Brian Reinwald, chief of the Protection Division in the Garrison’s Directorate of Emergency Services, said that Department of Defense ID cards are not authorized to be used for access to the Arsenal when entering for business purposes.

If someone is working as a contractor, driving for Uber or Lyft or delivering food for a delivery service or restaurant, they must go to the Visitors Control Center and get an access credential for that purpose.

“You cannot use your DOD-issued ID card for access for commercial purposes,” Reinwald said. “We’ve had a few incidences out at the gates with people trying to use their DOD ID cards to come on for commercial business.”

In other reports at the Redstone Community Update:

• Mark Mancini, Redstone’s director of military programs, said the new Q-Flow queue management system at the One Stop is “in full swing as of this past Monday (June 9) and it’s really improving our efficiency.”
• A Spiritual Resiliency Event will be on June 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dave & Busters. Maj. James Cochell, the Garrison deputy chaplain, said 50 slots are available for the event, and 17 people have signed up so far.

• Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Director Ed Nunn said Auto Detailing next to Starbucks off Goss Road is offering permanent change of station package deals starting at $350, which includes a basic detail wash, engine detail and undercarriage wash. Also, a 15% off window tinting offer is good for services at Auto Detailing that are booked in June and July. To schedule a service, call 256-876-3900.