Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Fawns Appear

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Sometimes, all you see is a pair of ears barely protruding above the grass. Lying still in sheltering foliage is a young fawn’s best protection.

However, when mom arrives, the youngster quickly rises on spindly legs and receives a thorough grooming from the doe.

It is a special time of year in the South Texas wildlands, as fawns are beginning to appear throughout the ranch country.

Fawns are beautiful creatures with big brown eyes and wonderfully spotted coats. The coloration and pattern of their fur help camouflage them from predators during the first days of their lives when they are most vulnerable and spend the majority of time lying still trying not to be detested by a coyote or bobcat.

Every year during the latter part of June and the first couple of weeks in July, White-tailed deer give birth to their young. Mature does often have twins and occasionally triplets.

Fawns grow quickly, and the sooner they can scamper about the better their chances of eluding predators. Newborn fawns can typically stand within 30 minutes and can walk within a few hours.

Fawns nurse several times a day and thanks to their mother’s nutritious milk they mature rapidly and can outrun most danger at some three weeks of age. They begin eating vegetation around this same time and join their mothers for extended browsing sessions.

There is an uncanny bond between doe and fawn, and they can easily pick one another out in the herd. White-tailed deer communicate using sound, scent, and body language, and they produce various audible sounds unique to each animal.

Fawns will gradually lose their spots by late summer and early fall but will remain with their mother for at least a year as they learn about their big new world.