White-tailed Fawn Photos by Bruce Dayton - White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

ORDER: Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
FAMILY: Cervidae (Deer)
SPECIES: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

White-tailed Fawn (Odocoileus virginianus)
Fawns are typically born in early spring. At birth, fawns weigh between 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds (2.5 and 3.5 kg). - Fawns are born with white spots providing a natural camouflage. These spots provide needed protection from their predators, until they are big enough to evade them. - Newborn fawns remain hidden and solitary for about three weeks. The mother doe visits her young only two to three times per day in order to nurse and groom them. -
SIZE	An average adult White-tailed buck weighs between 100 and 150 pounds live weight and stands 32 to 34 inches at the shoulder. Size and weight vary greatly in the White-tailed Deer depending on the the region where it is found. Newborn Fawns weigh between 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds. Yearling does average about 120 pounds. Yearling bucks weigh an average about 135 pounds.
DESCRIPTION	The white-tail was so named because the underside of its tail is covered with white hair and is displayed (Flag) when the deer is running. The belly, throat, areas around the eyes and insides of the ears are white all year long. Hair color is alike in both sexes. The summer coat consists of short, thin hairs that are reddish-brown in color and the the heavy winter coat is longer, grayish brown hairs over a short wooly undercoat. Sexual Dimorphism: Male are about 20% larger than the female. Males grow and shed a set of antlers each year.
BEHAVIOR	White-tail deer are generally considered solitary animals. They have an unusual social grouping. They are the most nervous and shy of the deer family. The most common sounds heard are whistles or snorts of disturbed White-tails. Does whine to call their fawns and fawns bleat to call their mothers. They are extremely agile and are great runners (up to 30 MPH), swimmers and jumpers. White-tails generally live in a range of only about one square mile, although linear ranges can be much longer. White-tails communicate with vocalizations and scents.
RANGE	Scientists have identified 30 subspecies of whitetails in Central and North America. Whitetails occur from southern Canada south through the lower 48 States and Mexico to Panama.
PREDATORS	The main predator of adult deer is man. Many are taken as game during hunting season, while thousands more are killed by motor vehicles each year. Fawns, in addition, are subject to being killed by many animal predators such as: Coyotes, Black Bears, Bobcats and stray dogs.
HABITAT	White-tailed deer can adapt and survive in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats from the big woods of the northeast to the swamps of Florida. Most woodland deer prefer a habitat of mixed woods, open areas and dense brush thickets to provide food and help conceal them from predators.
DIET	The White-tails are herbivores. Some foods white-tails may like to eat includes young leaves and stems, grass, berries, bark and nuts. In agriculture areas, they will eat crops such as corn and alfalfa.

White-tailed Deer
Fawn

Young fawns are not strong enough to outrun predators, so they have certain attributes that help them survive their early months.
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Fawns (baby deer) are born during May and June
after a gestation period of about 200 days.
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Spots on the newborn fawns provide a visual camouflage
that helps them blend into the background.
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The doe licks the fawn clean so that
they have little odor for predators to smell.
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Fawns are programmed so that they go limp on the ground
and even "play possum" when danger is perceived.
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A male (buck) fawn has bumps on his skull where antlers
will grow when he is older.
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White-tailed Fawn (Odocoileus virginianus)

Niles Township Cayuga County, New York	Springport Township Cayuga County, New York


WtDrF-304_011232	WtDrF-304_011896

Dryden Township Tompkins County, New York	Mendon Township Monroe County, New York


WtDrF-304_026548	WtDrF-304_038838



Lansing Township Tompkins County, New York

	Newborn Fawn
WtDrF-304_028960	WtDrF-304_052024

Tyre Township Seneca County, New York	Lee Township Oneida County, New York


WtDrF-304_012041	WtDrF-304_056225