Thursday, May 24, 2012

Rural Thursday: Early Fawns...

Usually we collect the game camera cards every week, but we were a little tardy this week. We wanted to get them all cleared off in time for the fawns to start showing up. They're usually born anytime during the last week of May or the first week of June, depending on exact breeding dates. Imagine our surprise to find that there are already at least two little ones who were born by May 15th.

The following pictures were all captured by the same game camera situated in a persimmon grove (behind the camera) that is the deer's favorite feeding place, both day and night. From here they can watch the open pasture or escape pretty quickly into the deep woods.
This little guy is probably at least a couple days old.

And this little guy is a little less steady on his feet, possibly
having been born the previous night.

Isn't he just too precious?

The shot immediately following this one on the camera card shows this one nursing,
but he's mostly blocked by his mama's legs, so I didn't include it.

I'm sure his mama told him to stay hidden while she ran some errands,
but he decided to be brave and get a better view of the pasture anyway.
We know that there are at least two fawns with two separate mothers, because the does have very different coloring in their face and tail areas, and the fawns have a different distribution of 'dots' along their necks.

And even though these two are early, we know there are more to come.
This doe appears pregnant, although she's still tending to her yearling.
This doe is obviously pregnant, too, and looks like she'll deliver twins.
Last year we had several sets of twins born at Le Rustique.
I love the game cameras and the little window they give us onto the natural world of a whole bunch of critters. One thing we've learned from them is that deer are much more actively foraging during daylight hours than we used to think. Another thing that surprised us is that raccoons, opossums and deer will eat side-by-side in the dark of night. We haven't seen a single raccoon or opossum, though, on any of the game cameras since the bobcat meandered through. I do hope he's long gone from Le Rustique now and doesn't come back looking for a little fawn for breakfast.

If you like stories of rural life, head on over to the  RURAL THURSDAY blog hop and read many more.

24 comments:

  1. oh, those fawns are so tiny! so cute!

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  2. what a wonderful glimpse into a world we don't often get a chance to see.

    they are just precious...we have a few that are expecting along our bike path!! i can't wait to see the little, spotted fawns!!

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  3. Awesome shots! Yesterday we had a doe in the driveway, today it was a red fox. Guess we should get one of those cameras?

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  4. Deer are so peaceful, they have such sweet demeanors and seem to just want to care for their family!

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  5. Great pics! Reminds me that we need to get our game cameras out for the season!

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  6. Goodness...that little fawn is too sweet! Wonderful captures.

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  7. Terrific images you captured! Love that little Fawn.

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  8. Fabulous images from this camera... those little fawns are too cute. I hope they all "listen" to Mama and stay hidden while Mama is away!


    Thank you for sharing at Rural Thursdays this week!

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  9. How fun, there is nothing more precious than a fawn.

    Pam aka Momma

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  10. What fun it must be to download these shots each week. You shots are wonderful. I have considered getting a nanny cam to place on the tree in my backyard. We have a high school a blog away and the students are using our backyard as a meeting place. But, the things we keep finding suggest that more than that is going on.

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  11. so precious! my parents have game cameras on their hunting land too. it's currently bear cub season!

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  12. Oh! Your photos reminded me of the fawns we visited one spring/summer just a few miles from here. They were in a fenced in area. I thought they were the most beautiful animals I'd ever seen. Enjoyed your post!!!!!! Thanks for sharing. . .

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  13. just beautiful!!! we had 2 fawn last year in our backyard...they would eat on a schedule!! at about 8;30am they would venture closer o the house...then in the evening they would be just laying in the grass..really really fun to watch...beautiful graceful animals...

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  14. I love these pictures...To be able to see them in their natural setting is unreal.....Thank you so much for sharing these pictures with us....

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  15. Precious indeed!
    I read in a comment that when you are busy you take a break blogging! I know that feeling...I'm having a lots of things to do...and my blog is there, just waiting!!!
    hugs
    bshell

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  16. Just checking in. Hope you are out of town enjoying yourself and not laid up or overburdened with work.

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  17. i came over today as i've thought of you a few times over the months and wondered if you were okay. i hope all is well and that you just decided to quit blogging and live life. :)

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  18. Oh my gosh! That would be an extremely early fawn here. Such great photos. We also love catching the fawns on the game camera. We will see them on the camera a good month and half before the does let us see them.

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