September 10, 2011
In the clover
One of the local whitetail does, whom we call “Lazy Z” because she has on her left side a small scar that looks like a letter Z tipped on its side, has a set of twins. Several times now she has left them for us to babysit for a couple hours while she has business somewhere else. They stay in a patch of clover that we let grow tall just outside out kitchen window. These photos are of one of them today in the clover patch waiting for mom to return.
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Montana Outdoors 
So sweet, she (he?) looks like a healthy little thing. I would be so excited to be that kind of babysitter. Beautiful photos!!!
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Comment by Candace — September 10, 2011 @ 9:39 pm
The twins are very healthy and have grown a lot: they are about 3/4 as big as mom now. We really enjoy babysitting them and feel honored that she trusts them with us.
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Comment by montucky — September 10, 2011 @ 9:54 pm
It looks quite content in your patch of clover…
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Comment by Roberta — September 10, 2011 @ 9:39 pm
They seem very content there. They eat the blossoms from the clover and in general keep it quite well trimmed.
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Comment by montucky — September 10, 2011 @ 9:54 pm
So nice that the mom feels safe leaving her babies so close to your home. That has to be a real treat to have them so close.
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Comment by kateri — September 10, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
I have been impressed with her intelligence. She has shown that she has made the judgement that they are safe here. She knows we are always around and also that no one in our household will be a threat to her or her twins. Yes, it has been a treat to see them every day as they are growing up. We think that Lazy Z probably grew up right here herself.
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Comment by montucky — September 10, 2011 @ 9:59 pm
So sweet, like Bambi
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Comment by Chantal — September 11, 2011 @ 12:31 am
The twins are very sweet. They have visited since they were perhaps only a few days old and we have been able to see their progress and growth.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:29 pm
That is amazing that she trusts you enough to leave them in your yard like that.
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Comment by Roberta — September 11, 2011 @ 6:10 am
I think it’s amazing too. We see her often and she sees us but she understands that we are not a threat.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
Such touching behavior – so much evidence of intelligence on Mama’s part! Some years ago I lived on NASA Road in Seabrook. There was a stretch of undeveloped land that snaked from that busy boulevard for miles and miles, up to the Armand Bayou nature center. One year, I looked out at the woods behind my urban home and there was a doe and twins. Needless to say, I carried corn for a while, and got to watch them grow up. Finally, in the fall, they stopped coming – but they were marvelous to see while they were there.
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Comment by shoreacres — September 11, 2011 @ 8:50 am
A year ago we were adopted by two families of wild turkeys and they visited every day all through winter, then in spring, stopped coming. Soon after, this deer family showed up and they have spent the summer with us. It’s wonderful to see them so close and for so much time.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:32 pm
Wow, Mama is very trusting– that’s amazing! Such a darling baby to oversee. 🙂
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Comment by Barbara — September 11, 2011 @ 11:01 am
That section of our yard is quite protected and seems a perfect place for the fawns. It also has a very lush area of clover which they keep trimmed for us.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:34 pm
Gorgeous. 🙂 Isn’t it curious how animals entrust their children to our care, sometimes? The birds do that with us, and then get on with their lives. Human nannies!
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Comment by Val — September 11, 2011 @ 11:06 am
Yes, it is curious. They are more perceptive than we usually give them credit for. I felt that several families of robins did much the same thing this summer too because we saw them in the same area day after day.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:36 pm
you must have very reasonable rates on babysitting if she keeps coming back =o)
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Comment by Sandy — September 11, 2011 @ 11:16 am
Yes, our rates for babysitting fawns are very reasonable. Actually, I think we are the ones who are benefitting the most from this arrangement!
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:38 pm
Such lovely animals and pictures ! Their mother feels her twins are safe with you. Beautiful shared moments !
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Comment by isathreadsoflife — September 11, 2011 @ 11:28 am
I think the mother has lived close to us for several years. While the fawns look quite domestic, they are as wild as can be and usually stay very alert. They will instantly spook when I get within their comfort distance or move suddenly and quickly.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:40 pm
how cute! what a lovely view from your kitchen window. ya’ll must be some good babysitters!
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Comment by silken — September 11, 2011 @ 12:42 pm
We actually do look out for them and keep from frightening them. We have not tolerated anything around that would harm our visitors.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:42 pm
I always love seeing these young spotted beauties. As we near hunting season I often fear that they will or their folks will disappear.
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Comment by Tammie — September 11, 2011 @ 1:16 pm
The fawns will be OK during hunting season, as will their mother, and I would have no idea where their father might be. The biggest threat to this family is the highway that is not far away. We keep plenty of water available for their use, hoping that they will drink here and not have to cross the highway to get to the river for their water.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:45 pm
Absolutely beautiful. So..so…so sweet!! What a terrific find and capture.
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Comment by Marcie — September 11, 2011 @ 1:42 pm
I think this is one of the rewards that we have for keeping most of our property in its natural state.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:46 pm
That looks like the very picture of contentment, being ‘in the clover’ 🙂 Nice to have such wildlife as neighbors!
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Comment by Watching Seasons — September 11, 2011 @ 3:50 pm
THis family is quite at home here. We have had lots of other visitors, but the deer and birds stay around nearly all of the time.About a dozen years ago we had a winter of very deep snow and all winter a young doe slept right next to our house every night for most of the winter.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:49 pm
Oh, what sweeties. I have a pair who appear to be the same age feed on the grass under the kitchen window, then mama comes and collects them. Isn’t it wonderful to have her trust you to care for them in her absence? that last photo is so nice. Precious.
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — September 11, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
I think it is nice that the doe is perceptive enough to understand that we pose no threat, and we love having them around (although we sometimes have to scold them for eating certain flowers). It’s also interesting to see that the do still stay alert and will spook immediately if something strange happens.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:51 pm
So, so sweet. How nice that mom trusts you to babysit them 🙂
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Comment by thedailyclick — September 11, 2011 @ 5:09 pm
I think that mom has known us for some time and the fawns are naturally attracted to the patch of clover, so it all works out well. They eat just about every clover blossom, but also graze on lots of other things as well.
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Comment by montucky — September 11, 2011 @ 9:54 pm
My goodness, how awesome to be able to babysit fawns! Amazing photos, oh how sweet!
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Comment by Anna — September 12, 2011 @ 7:42 am
They are really sweet, but like human children, they grow up too fast. These are already starting to lose their spots and are starting to act more like adults. Their “childhood” is brief.
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Comment by montucky — September 12, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
Awww how sweeet! I know you must have zoomed in on her, but approx how close was you to her?
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Comment by Tricia — September 15, 2011 @ 9:35 am
Very close; about 10 feet. This family has been staying close to the house for weeks now and we get to watch them every day. The little ones have sure grown fast!
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Comment by montucky — September 15, 2011 @ 11:03 pm
This post stopped me. So cute and amazing photos. Thank You.
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Comment by sartenada — September 15, 2011 @ 10:52 pm
It has been a real treat for us to see them so often and so close this summer. They are truly beautiful animals!
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Comment by montucky — September 15, 2011 @ 11:05 pm
Absolutely adorable! Superb photos… sorry I’ve been missing for awhile… just seem to have fallen behind everywhere. You were so fast at commenting on my recent post that I missed finalizing this comment before you had commented on my blog! At least now we are in the same time zone and I’m awake for a bit longer so will visit some more with you!
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Comment by Victoria — September 16, 2011 @ 10:24 pm
I hope you’re having a great time in Montana and that it has cooled off a bit for your stay!
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Comment by montucky — September 17, 2011 @ 10:30 pm
Perhaps Mama deer knows that predators are less likely to hang out in your yard, making it safer for her kind. The downside to having a yard-ful of deer, as we do also, is that your neighborhood can become attractive to the large carnivores that occasionally take pets, small children and stooping weed-pullers (or nature photographers!).
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Comment by Kim — September 18, 2011 @ 2:04 pm