Fawns - Tis the Season
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Zbone
21-May-23
Tis the season for newborn fawns, let's see some pix...
From: t-roy
22-May-23
Didn’t get a pic of him, but as I pulled into the neighbor’s yard, yesterday morning, a wobbly legged fawn ran right in front of my truck. The neighbor’s wife was mowing some tall grass and kicked him up. Couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours old. Glad she didn’t hit him!
From: Hawkeye
22-May-23
Came across quadruplets a few years ago.
From: walking buffalo
22-May-23
Maybe they weren't quads.... I've seen does birth together. One time I watched a Whitetail and a Mule deer doe giving birth within feet of each otherwhile another Whitetail and Mule deer doe (daughters?) stood watch. I could see two brand new fawns and the birthing does were still in labor. Co-incidence? Purposeful congregation?
From: DanaC
22-May-23
Got pix of two very-soon-now does on Friday. Could be dropped or dropping now. Year-old on the left, not sure about the one in the brush.
From: Old Reb
22-May-23
No pics. But I saw a fawn nursing on a doe in the field beside our house a couple of days ago.
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
22-May-23
Dana that can’t be Massachusetts. There’s 4 deer right there. Soon to be 6-8 hahaha
From: Jpm212
22-May-23
I almost ran this one over with my rider last May. Nothing yet this year.
From: Ziek
22-May-23
This little guy was only about 40 yards from my house two years ago. Taken on June 9, so it should be soon around here.
From: petedrummond
22-May-23
New kid on the block this morning.
From: RidgeRock
22-May-23
5/16/23
From: RidgeRock
22-May-23
5/16/23
From: JohnMC
22-May-23
Ridge I can tell that is going to be a booner in 2027.
From: Murph
22-May-23
Seen a couple day old antelope fawn yesterday here in NC Nebraska
From: Matt
22-May-23
Last weekend I saw a single and a set of twins that looked to be 2-3 weeks old. My wife saw the first fawn of the season about 2 weeks before that.
From: Zbone
22-May-23
Wow Hawkeye quads, cool...
From: Bottomdweller
22-May-23
Soon, very soon!
From: DanaC
23-May-23
Good gravy, is she carrying quints?
From: APauls
23-May-23
She hefty
She hefty
From: wilbur
23-May-23
First for me here in CT
First for me here in CT
From: goyt
24-May-23
Taken today. This is the entrance to my pole building off of the parking area for the house.
From: Cheesehead Mike
24-May-23
Just got my first fawn photo
From: petedrummond
24-May-23
Still in the hopper
From: Hawkeye
24-May-23
Here’s one from tonight.
From: midwest
25-May-23
The spotted ones aren't ripe yet.
From: BOWNUT
26-May-23
In the orchard now. Against a Apple tree. It won't be long it will be eating there too.
From: BOWNUT
26-May-23
From: t-roy
27-May-23
Just hatched this morning, about 40 yds from the house. They were both pretty wobbly. Probably less than an hour or two old.
From: bowhunter24
28-May-23
Had one partially eaten, gut section only, this week looked about 3 weeks old, in back yard. Fox maybe do that?
From: Medicinemann
28-May-23
Just watched a doe drop a fawn that was literally 5 feet off of a quiet country road this morning......
From: Slate
29-May-23
.
From: Pat Lefemine
29-May-23
20 minutes ago. Watched the doe leave her next to my Ohio house. Watched her nurse and then decided to say hello. Don't worry, I snapped the pic and backed out quietly. It never moved.
From: Slate
29-May-23
Pretty cool.
From: Zbone
29-May-23
Yeah, way cool Pat...
Should have put a sheep ear tag on it to recognize it as it grew...8^) That would be cool though if a little buck, watch it grow to maturity, then kill it...8^)
From: Mark Watkins
30-May-23
What an amazing time of the year!
Great pics!
Ive only got two on trail cams thus far in WC MN.
Mark
From: Ziek
30-May-23
Sorry Pat. That was dumb and uncalled for. You got lucky. The little guy could just as easily have gotten up and tried to run off. If you spook them, saying "oops" doesn't help much. It's not worth it just to get a dumb selfie for social media.
From: SaddleReaper
30-May-23
As if a doe wouldn't be able to locate a fawn that moved a few yards
From: Pat Lefemine
30-May-23
The virtue signaling didn’t take long.
I watched the doe come back and nurse her right in my yard an hour later. If she doesn’t want anyone to take a pic then don’t put the fawn next to the house!
Of course, the doe puts her there to dissuade predators. It’s brilliant, actually.
From: spike78
30-May-23
Pat, I saw a fawn right up against the foundation in some weeds and bushes at the in laws house in NY a few years ago.
From: spike78
30-May-23
Here’s the pic
From: Zbone
30-May-23
Had read they'll lay still when approached the first couple days of their lives but will usually spook and run after they're about 3 or 4 days old...
That whole thing about touching them and mother abandoning them is pure MYTH... Pat just confirmed that... A wild mammal mother is not going to abandon her baby/babies even if smells a slight human scent... She'll likely lick it off...
Am sure most have seen video of bears in Yellowstone grabbing elk calves and the mother assisting in the calf getting away.... Predator scent on her baby is not going to make her abandon her calf... Same on the Serengeti...
From: Slate
30-May-23
I have picked up fawns many times doing my job. I have actually handed them to the mothers with no issues. You can also move them pretty far and the mother will find them. No harm Pat, don’t hang yourself. Your touch is a lot more gentle than a bear, coyote or a bobcats touch. Now if I see you with a bottle in your hand like me then you’re at the point of no return
From: Ziek
30-May-23
Handling them is not the issue. Nor is the fact that you got away with it. If the fawn had got up and moved any distance, or if the doe got nervous enough to move it, it would have left a scent trail, negating the survival behavior that allowed you to get that close...this time. You also have no idea if you stressed the fawn or doe. All for a stupid picture. The first rule in wildlife encounters and in wildlife photography is to not interfere with their natural behavior.
From: Slate
30-May-23
There is a lot more resilience built in then you are giving this animal credit for or wildlife in general. That picture wasn’t stupid either I liked it.
From: Zbone
30-May-23
Ahhhhhh, Pat just said he watched the mother nurse it an hour later, doesn't sound like it was spooked or stressed.... Geez... In some states (PA comes to mind) wildlife officials with volunteers will grid an area to catch them to radio collar them for research...
Curious Pat, how many times were you fortunate to watch it nurse, and if so how much time between intervals?
Slate - That one is about perfect size to make a cool looking back quiver...8^))) (that was a joke folks...8^))
From: Slate
30-May-23
No worries the coyotes got it anyway.
From: Zbone
30-May-23
Think of this, been keeping notes for years and last week and this week (I call this time Memorial Day week) has always been peak fawning season in my area... Many deerfarmers count 200 day gestation (google indicates 201), so the first sighting posted on this thread was by t-roy for May 21st... 200 days from that date was October 27th... Fawns have been dropping like flies this past week just from the photos on this thread, and probably many more to come this week... Pat seen his Memorial Day, May 29 when probably a day old, so figure born May 28th and likely conceived around November 3rd... Add another week, is November 10th, and every year is a big debate/discussion on peak rut dates... Have said it for years, first week of November annually is always peak rut around here... Newborn fawns confirm that and one reason I started this thread...
Also the earliest posted over on the Ohio forum dead fawn parts found on May 18th, so conception would have been around October 24th... I think more does are bred in October than most think...
From: Will
30-May-23
MAPA - Dana took that pic east of 495, where there are 273 deer per square mile. Immediately upon crossing that road we are down to 2/sq mi.
This is an awesome thread, super fun to see all the awesome fawn pics!
From: Slate
30-May-23
Great info Zbone
From: Ziek
30-May-23
So let me get this right. Most of you would recommend that everyone who sees a newborn deer, elk, etc., try to sneak up on it to take a picture petting it? Maybe, have teachers lead kids on forays to try it, you know for educational purposes. Or we could have a contest to see who can get the most fawn petting photos. Is it a good idea for people who should, and I believe actually do, know better, post that type of photo on line, to give those who don't know any better an excuse/reason to do it? Pat's hand in the photo added NOTHING worthy to it.
From: Slate
30-May-23
Yup that’s exactly what we are recommending. :-)
From: t-roy
30-May-23
Go eat a friggen Snickers, Ziek!
From: Pat Lefemine
30-May-23
So let me understand this: my single touch (didn’t pet it) freaked it out, causing stress and potential abandonment of its mother despite her dropping it in my yard.
But mowing 20 acres of hay the day before, or my neighbor spraying 325 acres of winter wheat has less impact?
Got it.
I’ll try harder to be a better person. Thank you for your guidance.
From: Pat Lefemine
30-May-23
Crap. Just realized I’ve been accused of inappropriate touching.
From: Zbone
30-May-23
8^))) Too funny Pat...8^)))
He!!, I probably would have got down next to it and took a selfie with it in frame...8^)
If it makes you feel any better Ziek, I bet he took pictures without the hand...8^)
From: Glunt@work
31-May-23
I saw a story on here once about something much more extreme. A guy climbed in a tree, waited for hours then shot a deer with a bow and arrow. Then ate it.
Pretty sure that deer didn't make it. Pretty sure Pat's did.
From: DanaC
31-May-23
Will, I hate to tell you but that pic was taken in Ham******* County - as was this one on Friday
From: Zbone
01-Jun-23
I thought this was a great photo a LeatherWaller shared over on Stickbow... Said photo was taken 2nd week of May...
From: RK
01-Jun-23
One of the Labs guarding a fawn at the lake house last weekend
From: Will
01-Jun-23
Dana, impossible! Not out there. No deer there. ha ha ha!
The fawn at the lake house with the pup guard is awesome RK
From: RK
01-Jun-23
Will
She stayed with that fawn until we took her in to feed her. Then Mom came to get her
Pic taken from the second story
From: Brotsky
01-Jun-23
Pat, last time I got caught touching Fawn inappropriately it cost me a house and half of my stuff! You got off lucky with Ziek!
From: Slate
03-Jun-23
.
From: Slate
03-Jun-23
.
From: Ksgobbler
03-Jun-23
First I have had.
From: hunt'n addict
03-Jun-23
I about stepped on this one this morning when I was out turkey hunting.
From: Zbone
04-Jun-23
Zbone's Link
Have a small rye patch behind the house, actually it's more weeds than rye but anyhow hadn't yet had a chance to mow it this year and it was near waste high and watched a doe doing circles in it last week acting like she was looking for something so suspect she had fawn/fawns nearby... I didn't approach the area, so when I mowed it Thursday thought maybe I'd come across one, but not so, but seen a couple fawns with mothers from the road yesterday...
Here's video of fawn rescued from soccer net:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/animals/police-rescue-baby-deer-tangled-in-soccer-net/vi-AA1c2zLj?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=15f3024652c34c11bb33db1dc0895a08&ei=17
From: Slate
04-Jun-23
Yeah RK that’s pretty cool. Labs are the best dogs.
From: Lee
08-Jun-23
I’ve helped collar quite a few fawns and we are hoping to catch them before they are big enough to run. Mom always comes back after we collar them. Not a big deal at all, Ziek.
From: 8point
08-Jun-23
Sadly the farmer mowing my field got one with his mower the other day. He said it looked to be just a day or 2 old, he felt like crap. I could see the doe from the house and it was sad to see her standing there for hours afterwards.
From: 4nolz@work
08-Jun-23
Why would you collar a fawn? I've been called to dart and cut collars off 3 deer with collars growing into their necks.All were "pet" bucks that became dangerous and darting was the only way to get close without getting hurt.
From: Rut Nut
08-Jun-23
I’m assuming the collars are radio collars put on by biologists.
We saw our first fawn Of the season today. My wife saw something she couldn’t believe this morning................a fawn ran across the road and a pickup stopped in front of her and scooped up the fawn, put it in his truck and took off! She couldn’t believe what she saw!
From: 4nolz@work
08-Jun-23
No one would radio collar a wild fawn not in a pen
From: 4nolz@work
08-Jun-23
Lee I assume these are penned deer?
From: Lee
09-Jun-23
No they are not penned deer - the fawns are part of a multi-year predation study. The collars are proximity collars that register “contact” with gps collared coyotes and bobcats on the study site. Basically the collars record how often a collared predator came in close contact with the fawn and does not catch it. The collars are designed to expand with the fawn as it grows so it doesn’t choke the fawn. Search for fawn collars and you will find a variety of collars used for similar studies by various wildlife companies. I am a wildlife biologist, btw.
Lee
From: Lee
09-Jun-23
Lee's Link
4Nolz - here is a link to some good info on handling and collaring fawns. Not the study I am referring to but similar. It discusses abandonment, etc.
Lee
From: Zbone
09-Jun-23
Thanks for sharing Lee...
From: JB
10-Jun-23
Feeding time
From: Slate
10-Jun-23
From: Boreal
10-Jun-23
From: BOHUNTER09
10-Jun-23
Doe crossed the road. Fawn bedded in the road ditch
From: Ksgobbler
10-Jun-23
From: Stoneman
10-Jun-23
Not sure how old this little guy is, just showed up this morning.
From: Zbone
11-Jun-23
Wow Slate, momma's stacked...8^)))
From: PushCoArcher
13-Jun-23
Some of the first orphans of the year.
From: Zbone
14-Jun-23
Cool PushCoArcher, are you helping raise them at like an animal rescue shelter?
From: PushCoArcher
14-Jun-23
My boy works there but dosen't drive yet so I'm up there a bunch. They have some permanent residents who are to injured to release. But the healthy fawns will be released in the fall/winter.
From: Corax_latrans
14-Jun-23
So how is it that everyone here piled on with criticism of the Tourons who take selfies or “help” fawns/calves which are separated from their dams, but almost nobody has a problem with walking right up on a fawn for a picture??
Just seems like a double standard…
And yes, it’s different when it’s part of a worthwhile study, so Lee and his colleagues are in a different category.
Glad that the Lab didn’t get stomped; I’ve seen plenty of videos of does defending fawns against dogs, and we had a report here in the past year or two of at least one doe that reared up and came after a few people out on a walk, hooves flailing…
And yes, it’s clever of these does to stash the tinies close to human activity to keep predators away. Especially at Pat’s place….
From: Slate
14-Jun-23
From: DanaC
14-Jun-23
Saw my first fawn of the year this morning, central Mass. Others seeing them lately.
From: rock50
14-Jun-23
Thought he was hidden from me
From: 4nolz@work
14-Jun-23
I bet the buck was raised with the lab
From: deerhunter72
14-Jun-23
I ran over this poor guy last weekend bush hogging. Never even knew it until I made another pass the next day. Made me very sad.
From: t-roy
14-Jun-23
I did the same thing a couple of years ago, deerhunter72, except I found him on my next pass. Made me sick to my stomach:-(
From: Stoneman
19-Jun-23
Twins
From: Slate
19-Jun-23
From: t-roy
26-Jun-23
Found the remains of this little guy in a clover plot just up the hill from the house. One little circle of matted down clover. Makes one wonder if it was stillborn or died shortly after birth. Had one bedded down in the backyard a couple of years ago, that my wife watched from the window about 15’ away. She could see its nose moving. Eventually, she called me and was concerned that it hadn’t moved in several hours. I told her that is one of their defense mechanisms. Finally, after 5-6 hrs, she went out right before dark and checked on it. Sure enough, it was dead. It would be interesting to know what the mortality rate is on them in just giving birth.
From: Slate
27-Jun-23
It’s been a great year for me with fawns. Seeing a lot of fawns and no yotes. Puts a smile on my face.
From: Zbone
05-Jul-23
Fawns are getting big... While scouting fields this evening had one cross the road in front of me and was getting along pretty good without mamma... At this time of year would assume it'd still be nursing but no adults around to be seen and except for the spots and half grown size it just acted every bit like an adult deer... I come to a stop where it crossed, and it took off bounding like a big boy...
