Our Deer

We think we are so lucky to have a small family of deer living nearby.  This spring we were adopted by a mother who came with two new babies (one boy, one girl) with their wobbly legs, white spots and big, wondering eyes. She also had her fawns from last season with her at the time, one boy and one girl.

The older fawns have moved on but Mom still comes to the yard each night with her two little ones, who are growing fast.  We put corn out for them and they have come to look for us in the evenings.  In fact, if we forget about them, they sometimes plant themselves in Marty's parking spot in the driveway, as if waiting for him to come home.  Other times they stand in the yard, patiently waiting, often creeping closer and closer to the house.  I've joked that the day will come when they walk up the porch steps and knock on the door.

The last month or two with the weather being so cold, our little three member family has been joined by a handful of other deer, who randomly pop in for feeding time.  Usually we have seven deer in the yard in the evenings now, other times we have ten!

Once I looked out on a warm winter day and saw the mom and one fawn grazing nearby, and the second fawn curled up in a pile of leaves Marty had raked up, just soaking in the rays.  It was so cute.

It's hard to get really good pictures of them, as they tend to arrive at dusk when the light is not the greatest.  But we keep trying.

We are looking forward to spring, and seeing the new babies arrive and venture into the mix!