Found yesterday morning at the edge of my yard. I was out hanging the bird feeders (still not taking any chances leaving them out at night with the bears around) and spotted the neighbor's big white cat up near the crabapple tree. Then I saw it leap in the air, heard a scream, and saw a flash of brown and spots and flailing legs.
I ran up there, mostly to chase the cat away (what cat tries to attack a deer?), but also to see what was going on. I thought the fawn had climbed the bank and that's where I looked first. No fawn but mom was pretty upset to see me and did some snorting and stomping around. Of course, I backed off, not wanting to make the situation any worse than it was already.
So I walked around the other way, still not seeing anything, and then I looked down. And there it was in the tall grass, curled into a ball, and trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. When I first climbed the bank I was so close to it that I almost stepped on it. That's how well-hidden it was.
The photo here was taken later in the afternoon, and when I checked about 7:30 pm, it was still there. I did a little research online about deer and this is pretty typical behavior. Mom hides the baby during the day, then walks away to divert attention from it. She'll stay in the general area in case of trouble, but you won't see either one unless you look very carefully.
I haven't checked yet this morning and don't know if they've taken up residence in my yard or for how long. I love that they consider it a safe haven but wonder if I'll be able to mow the grass any time soon. Such gorgeous animals (it has the sweetest little ears) but also very destructive—they're voracious eaters of fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and perennials, all of which we have in abundance.
