My Dear Urban Deer Family

Last January we started watching and filming what I call my dear urban deer family. Spot the matriarch grew bigger with her pregnancy. She traveled with two other deer, Dot a fawn from a year and half ago and Button, her little button buck from the previous year.

We suspected the two does had dropped their fawns in early May when there was a sudden weight lose. Three weeks later we were delighted to see the first fawn, Rue (named for the Andrew) show up with Dot. Soon after little Lue (Luke insisted we name one for him too!) was a regular as well.

A couple months ago, we had hopes the two fawns had chosen a home under a group of trees in the back yard. They were seen morning noon and night snuggled up tight, followed with frolic and games across the groomed yard. But alas that was not to last. For the past month or more, weve seen them only through photos capturing their nightly visits to the feeder.

Until yesterday, Joes mother spotted them yesterday morning out her back window. They had the company of a house cat, where Rue, the larger of the two, played Im King stomping a foot at the unimpressed cat. He played that game for a few more stomps. The bored cat finally walked off, which scared the fawns to death and they bolted across the yard reaching high weeds of dog fennel and disappeared.

Today they emerged again, I caught them this time! One of several videos is here.

They are four months old, almost lost their spots and are almost as tall as their mothers. Rue appears to have a couple buttons on his heard, meaning hes already starting to have the characteristics of the buck he will one day be. Hes much darker than Lue, who looks albino next to him. She is a much more delicate soft brown. The color difference is clear and youll see it.

Button, Spots fawn from last year has grown into a Spike, so has a name change. He is an inch or two taller than mom now and still follows the growing family. Frequently Spike is seen playing surrogate adult to Rue and Lue.

I hope you will enjoy, as much as I have.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Four Month old fawns
• Lue and Rue