Fawn Finding Forest Fast by Jeff Dehmel

We’ve all heard of f-stops, but look at this fawn f-GO!! I shared this photo eleven Julys ago but wanted to update it with even more Fun Fawn Facts:

• Fawns average 6-8 lbs. at birth
• Fawns are capable of walking within a few hours
• Does usually remain within 100 yards of their fawns
• A 3-week-old fawn can outrun most danger
• The average number of spots on a fawn is 300 (gotta love scientists!)
• The whitetail fawn loses its spots by the end of October of the same year it was born, or within 3 to 4 months after birth.
• As the spots disappear, the fawn’s coat also changes from its reddish color to a grayish winter coat. The buck fawn’s face grows a bit darker in color but the belly remains white
• Deer tend to live in female-led family groups of up to 25 deer and may live to ten years or more
• When playing together, fawn games are suggestive of children’s games like tag. Mock fighting, aggressive postures, and scent marking helps fawns refine social behaviors
• Young males leave their mother after one year, but young females usually stay with their mother for two years.
• The area where the fawn is born normally becomes its adult habitat
• Male fawns grow pedicles (the attachment point for antlers) that are typically about one inch in length
• Fawns that live past the first week have a good chance of surviving to adulthood

More great shots from Jeff in his most popular photos gallery on Flickr!