Our Newest Guests: Meet the Baby Deer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers around the experiences of a user who has been observing and interacting with baby deer near their converted barn. The user shares insights on building trust with deer through calm body language and gradual approaches. They also discuss the challenges of caring for a newborn deer that has lost its mother, emphasizing the importance of providing food and hydration. The conversation includes playful banter about "juicing" the deer, which is meant humorously, and showcases various pictures of the deer taken with a new camera.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of deer behavior and body language
  • Basic photography skills, particularly with manual camera settings
  • Knowledge of wildlife care, especially for orphaned animals
  • Familiarity with local wildlife species, specifically deer types
NEXT STEPS
  • Research deer behavior and effective techniques for building trust with wildlife
  • Learn about wildlife rehabilitation practices for orphaned animals
  • Explore advanced photography techniques for capturing wildlife
  • Identify local wildlife sanctuaries and their protocols for animal care
USEFUL FOR

Wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, animal rehabilitators, and anyone interested in understanding deer behavior and care for orphaned wildlife.

Ivan Seeking
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
8,213
Reaction score
2,658
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
OMG! I hate you! MINE!

Look at those faces! I need to juice them!
 
We were camping along Skyline Drive a few years ago when a doe and her fawn wandered into our campsite. She didn't catch wind of me until her fawn was about 10 feet away from me. At that point she situated herself between me and it pretty hastily and then off they ambled for safer (in her opinion) browsing.
 
Jimmy Snyder said:
We were camping along Skyline Drive a few years ago when a doe and her fawn wandered into our campsite. She didn't catch wind of me until her fawn was about 10 feet away from me. At that point she situated herself between me and it pretty hastily and then off they ambled for safer (in her opinion) browsing.

I am the deer wheeesperer.

Truly, I've been learning deer for years now. Long slow blinks, a slumped body, frequently look down or away, turn your back for a few moments, talk in a low, smooth, calm voice, approach in small steps, little by little... Over time they lose their fear and get more and more trusting as long as you don't make any sudden moves. Blow it once and it's all over with that one!

On one occasion, with a young deer I had been working all summer, I too managed to get within ten feet or so but while she saw me coming! I've managed to get pretty close quite a few time but I only got THAT close once.

Tsu is the skunk wheeesperer. I can't tell you her trick because it might get me banned.
 
Evo said:
OMG! I hate you! MINE!

Look at those faces! I need to juice them!

:smile: :smile: :smile:
 
Houston, we have a problem. Tsu doesn't even know this yet.

I have a newborn baby deer who has lost its mom living in and around the outer area of the barn. There are plenty of grasses and water [the creek is still flowing a bit, amazingly!], and she/he is eating, but I guess I should see what else I can do. Perhaps a salt lick... Geez.

I thought she found her mom yesterday but apparently it was the wrong deer.
 
Is there a wildlife sanctuary anywhere near you? If you have to bottle feed, you really will become a dear of a deer. *wink* Hope the fawn gets help soon, not sure how long they can go without mothers milk.
 
Evo said:
I need to juice them!

Now does this mean something I don't know, or should I be horrified right now?
 
Disconnected said:
Now does this mean something I don't know, or should I be horrified right now?
Cute things are FAT, and that makes them JUICY, and you have to juice the fat.

In other words you need to gently squeeze the soft parts. Or pet them or hug them.

Is this weird? I thought everyone did this. :blushing:
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
Houston, we have a problem. Tsu doesn't even know this yet.

I have a newborn baby deer who has lost its mom living in and around the outer area of the barn. There are plenty of grasses and water [the creek is still flowing a bit, amazingly!], and she/he is eating, but I guess I should see what else I can do. Perhaps a salt lick... Geez.

I thought she found her mom yesterday but apparently it was the wrong deer.

Oh NO! :cry::cry: I didn't hear it crying this morning so I thought everything was ok...
 
  • #11
Tsu said:
Oh NO! :cry::cry: I didn't hear it crying this morning so I thought everything was ok...
OH NO! You must get it help! :cry: :cry: It's going to die from dehydration.
 
  • #12
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #13
Ivan Seeking said:
Wait... wait... wait... I think this is the same one. I know we had one mom with one baby, and another with two. I can't tell for sure who's who! :cry:

*cough*paintball*cough*
 
  • #14
What type of deer are those? The fawns seem quite fluffy compared to what I'm used to.

Very fun pictures.
 
  • #15
Evo said:
Cute things are FAT, and that makes them JUICY, and you have to juice the fat.

In other words you need to gently squeeze the soft parts. Or pet them or hug them.

Is this weird? I thought everyone did this. :blushing:
Okay, so what I am getting here is that you want to hug the cute baby deer, and not anything creepee or disturbing. Am I right? If not, please do not correct me...
 
  • #16
Disconnected said:
Okay, so what I am getting here is that you want to hug the cute baby deer, and not anything creepee or disturbing. Am I right? If not, please do not correct me...
Yes. :-p
 
  • #17
mege said:
What type of deer are those? The fawns seem quite fluffy compared to what I'm used to.

Very fun pictures.

Wester-Oregon black tail, I think.

Btw, no joke about Tsu being the skunk wheeesperer. If one comes in the house through the cat access, which happens at times in the spring and early summer, she tells it to leave, and it leaves! She must make just the right sound. If I tell it to leave, it ignores me.
 
  • #19
Oh <choke> gasp <cough>, the laser eyes! :smile:

OMG! Those are great pictures! You're so lucky!
 
  • #20
Or maybe mule deer... I always wanted to think we had black-tail deer but it seems I was corrected on this point... maybe by Integral.
 
  • #21
Ivan Seeking said:
Or maybe mule deer... I always wanted to think we had black-tail deer but it seems I was corrected on this point... maybe by Integral.

Ivan Seeking said:

We have white tail deer here and I've never seen a mule deer in the wilds, but I think those ears are a dead give away.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #23
Ivan Seeking said:
I guess I should have posted this in the photos section.
Or the food thread. :devil:

where's turbo?
 
  • #25
Evo said:
Oh <choke> gasp <cough>, the laser eyes! :smile:

Yeah, I watch the moms with the young one pretty closely when I get close. And they watch me. I keep waiting for one to decide I've gotten too close and have her rush me. I know the bucks will sometimes charge during rutting season. I don't know if females will or not.

Not a deer to be seen today. This is the first time in weeks that I haven't seen them around.

OMG! Those are great pictures! You're so lucky!

We love this time of year around here. It's like living in a national park... in fact, basically we do. In addition to our own little forest and grassland, we are right up against State-owned forests that extend for many miles. I think one could start from our front porch and hike in nothing but wilderness all the way to Idaho, at least.

I keep hoping to get some shots of bald eagles.

This is why I don't need to take vacations. Before we moved here, places like this WERE our vacations.
 
Last edited:
  • #26
Keep the pictures coming! All I have are some baby squirrels and baby birds.
 
  • #27
I see a PF Photo Contest poster in the making.
 
  • #28
Oh dear, is it just me...

http://www.nature-gifts.com/1126-squirrel-feeders.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #29
Here's a baby face for you. I am pretty sure this was our lost baby, who is now safe and sound with momma.

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/2374/deer12.jpg

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/1858/deer11.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/3886/deer10.jpg

This was cool. Another bit of non-predatory body language that I've tried is the curious tilt of the head, as a dog or cat might do. I was guessing that this may be a somewhat universal non-agression signal, or even a signal of playfulness, and the fawns definitely respond to this. This fawn and I had direct eye contact going at about thirty feet. When I tilted my head, she immediately responded and took two quick steps towards me. I tilted my head the other way and she hurried a few more steps towards me. It worked a third time but then mom intervened and forced a little distance.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #30
Evo said:
Oh dear, is it just me...

http://www.nature-gifts.com/1126-squirrel-feeders.html
Oh, uh... Oh my. Not just you.

Ivan Seeking said:
This was cool. Another bit of non-predatory body language that I've tried is the curious tilt of the head, as a dog or cat might do. I was guessing that this may be a somewhat universal non-agression signal, or even a signal of playfulness, and the fawns definitely respond to this. This fawn and I had direct eye contact going at about thirty feet. When I tilted my head, she immediately responded and took two quick steps towards me. I tilted my head the other way and she hurried a few more steps towards me. It worked a third time but then mom intervened and forced a little distance.

That's pretty cool, man. I wasn't surprised when you said that the right body language can let you move closer to the deer, but for it to actually move towards you is super neat.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
7K
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
6K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • · Replies 67 ·
3
Replies
67
Views
16K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K