Newborn Fawn

Years and years of wildlife photography, 1000's of miles on the odometer, and hours upon hours I can never get back (or want to), searching for creatures big and small is how I spend my free time. A wishlist in my head of encounters yet to be discovered is born, dreaming of once-in-a-lifetime moments like this one I had this morning. Magical is all I can say...

I have only seen in pictures, a fawn barely a few hours old, hiding from predators as mom is away, a survival instinct never taught, but bred into their wild genes.

Note: Newborn fawns have almost no body odor and their reddish brown coat with white spots make young fawns almost invisible to predators. Fawns lie motionless on the ground surrounded by low vegetation. The fawn’s natural instinct is to freeze even when approached by another animal. As fawns grow and mature, they will initially freeze, but they jump up and bound away.
Please don't try to "rescue" an abandoned fawn. They are not without their mother. She must leave her baby to feed herself, as the fawn is not yet strong enough to go with her. The mother always returns!

 

 

Family Play Day

I love catching natural behavior without being seen. You see the moments that occur without scaring your subjects into hiding. This family was playing in the field and the smallest of the twins tested out its speed, jutting in and out and around it's sister, tempting it to chase after her.

Baby Big Ears

White tail deer are giving birth at this time of year, so I found it appropriate to select this photo for posting. Newborn fawns at birth, weigh 6-7 lbs and have about 300 white spots for camouflage. The first few weeks after being born, Doe mothers leave their newborns in a safe place to look for food. Fawns have no smell at birth, so predators are not likely to find them in tall grass, unless they happen to stumble upon them. Does nurse their young for their first 3-4 months of life. Some fawns are just now growing old enough to follow their mothers when feeding.
I found these 2 in a soybean field near Channahon feeding on leaves which is a staple for grazers such as deer. They also eat corn, beans, berries, bark and grass.
The ears on the little one seem to be even bigger than mom's so I called this one, "Baby Big Ears"