Probably 15 years ago I was bowhunting on the Michigan opener, Oct 1. A doe came thru and she had an aluminum arrow stuck behind her right ear. I figured it must have been from the previous year since there was no blood and the arrow had no fletchings left on it, but it was unbroken/full length. She showed no sign of distress etc.
I did not want to use my tag on a doe that early in the season but I sure did not want her walking around that way, and could just hear the rifle hunters in Nov (of which I was one) cussing out the bowhunters for wounding all the game. So I shot her. She did not go far, maybe 50-60 yds. I tried to pull the arrow out, no go, it was all healed up around the entrance.
As I cleaned her out there was a BIG lump, and I thought "what in the world, does she have a big tumor to boot?" I opened up the sack and found 2 fawns. Completely formed with hair hooves etc. Very small but still completely formed. I could not believe it. I figured that she got her chemistry screwed up by the arrow. The next day I called the local DNR biologist and explained to him what I found, thought he might be interested in taking a look etc... but he was'nt interested. He did think the same as I about her inability to drop the fawns. I asked if it would have killed her and he said "no". Her body would "re-absorb" the fawns. I don't know if he knew what he was talking about or not, but she sure was a tough one.
Long