On Schedule

By the looks of Daisy deer’s udder on the afternoon of June 1st, I suspected she would give birth sometime that night or perhaps the next morning. Sure enough, Daisy promptly disappeared for nearly a week before we saw her again down at the feeders, looking slender and quite svelte with her beautiful, glossy red coat that doe mothers wear in spring. After a couple of attempts to follow Daisy to see where she might have her babies hidden (See my earlier post: A Beautiful Place), I realized my presence in the woods only caused problems. Further complicating the situation, we had three other does frequenting the feeders who had delivered babies in the days and weeks following the birth of Daisy’s babies. And there is yet another doe in this group who is still quite pregnant at this time. So, with so many fawns hidden in the area, and more to come, FD and I decided it might be best for all that we not interfere by traipsing around the woodland bottom.

When Daisy began patrolling the area up top of the canyon (around our home and pasture) a couple of weeks ago, we were finally able to give her a little attention. Around our home, she found the usual edibles to nibble on – plants that she would never find in the woods. Orange chard, various leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, roses, sand cherry shrubs, raspberries, and blackberries to name a few. FD and I enjoyed spending time picking ticks and parasites off of her (we might be a little weird that way, ya think?) and giving her a little mutual grooming time. As always though, she was very alert and often went running back down the slope to check on her babies, hidden in the woods nearby. At times, Daisy stopped to touch noses with Emma deer, groaning deeply as she moved away from her old pen. I am not sure what to think of this. Does she long to visit inside her old pen where many natural, deer-friendly edibles can be found, or does she wonder about the new occupants? I cannot help but think it is a good sign that Daisy continues to visit her old pen and does not seem hostile to Emma and Ronnie’s’ presence.

Daisy carefully looks from behind blackberry shrubs to make sure it is safe for her and her baby to cross the pasture in broad daylight.

Daisy quickly leads a fawn across the pasture to bed down in my Mother-in-law’s iris beds.

Daisy grooming the male fawn.

Daisy showing her fawns the water tub, feeders and plant edibles at the bottom of the slope.

Just this past week, Daisy’s fawns reached the age of one month and Daisy was spot on about bringing her twins out together. Over the past four years, FD and I have consistently observed that Daisy’s offspring were first introduced to the immediate area at about one month of age. And perhaps it is not so much that it is Daisy’s idea, but rather that by the time fawns are three to four weeks of age, they become more curious and playful. The fawns still bed down separately, and there are many times when I see Daisy with one fawn grazing alongside her. But often, especially in the evenings, we observe Daisy with both fawns.

One of Daisy’s twins is definitely a male. We have not been able to positively identify the sex of the other.

These two seem to be playing, but they are also practicing skills they will need in the wild, like leaping over creek beds and sparring to establish their place in the herd.

It will not be long, and the woodlands will have many spotted babies scampering alongside their mothers and interacting with each other in play. I can’t help but wonder if this might be a very good sign for Emma deer and Ronnie deer at some point. I am hopeful for what the future might bring for Emma and Ronnie – that Daisy and her fawns and friends will accept these two orphans into their tribe someday…

 

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