Cute Baby Deer Photos, Facts, And Videos (All Your Questions Answered)

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Bambi has been imprinted in our collective memory for decades now, and the fact is that there is nothing cuter than a baby deer.

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How Many Species Of Deer Are There?

There are 43 different species of deer in the world including moose, reindeer, elk, roe deer, fallow and sika deer, and the one I’ll be concentrating today – the white-tailed deer.

The whitetail is probably the most known deer in America and is typically what people think of when you mention a deer.

RELATED: Do Deer Eat Bananas?

What Are Baby Deer Called?

Baby deer are called fawns and are usually born in litters of one or two. Baby deer are only cared for by the mother, known as a doe. Baby deer are born from April to June and are born with fur. Their mother licks the fur to get rid of the scent so it doesn’t attract predators.

Amazingly, in the first 20 minutes after they’re born, they start to take their first steps and can already walk in the first 7 hours.

Why Are Baby Deer Left Alone?

Baby deer are left alone on a daily basis while their hard working mother goes and forages for food in the surrounding area. Fawns are still not strong enough to keep up with their mothers in those early stages even though they are born with their eyes open are are starting to walk.

Unfortunately, well-meaning people that encounter these baby deer think that they are abandoned are occasionally take the fawns home or to a rescue.

RELATED: Do Deer Attack Humans?

What To Do If You Find Baby Deer Alone?

If you do encounter baby deer in nature or backyard and think that they are abandoned, simply keep an eye on it (or them) from a healthy distance for up to 24 hours to see if their mother will come back for them. Only after you are completely sure that they are abandoned should you contact wildlife rescue organizations and possibly interact with fawns in cooperation with the rescue organization.

If you have already taken the baby deer to your home, you should immediately return it to the exact location where you have found it and leave it alone so the mother doe can find it and look after it safely.

If you see that a baby deer is ill or injured, you should contact a wildlife rescue organization immediately to seek advice from them.

Find more information what to do if you find baby deer here.

What Do Baby Deer Look Like?

Besides being super cute, baby deer, white-tailed baby deer to be exact, are born with reddish-brown fur and white spots over their body. These white spots are a great form of camouflage because predators can’t spot them when they’re lying motionless in the tall grass. As babies, they already have huge ears and big round, brown eyes.

What Do Baby Deer Look Like — White-tailed deer fawn

Deer tails:

Being a baby deer is not easy. Researchers have estimated that as many as 30% to 40% of white-tailed deer die during their first or second year. The main culprits are predators like wolves, coyotes, bears, and bobcats, bad weather, different diseases, and a lack of maternal care if their mother is killed or abandons them.

What Do Baby Deer Sound Like?

Baby deer can make a wide variety of sounds, including, bleats, grunts, and wheezes. Baby deer use these sounds to communicate or call their mothers. If their mother is around, she will quickly respond to them. Unfortunately, hunters are aware of this fact as well, and they use baby deer sounds to attract mothers and kill them.

What Do Baby Deer Eat?

Baby deer eat their mother’s milk three to five times per day. They are usually weaned after 8–10 weeks when they start to eat the same food as their mother – young leaves, fresh grasses, soft twigs, fruit, fungi and lichens, but also nuts and corn. Deer also require a large amount of minerals such as calcium and phosphate in order to support antler growth.

Can Baby Deer Drink Cow Milk?

Cow milk is not a good choice for baby deer. If you ever find yourself in a situation that you need to feed a baby deer, it is better to use goat’s milk or fawn milk that you can find in specialized shops.

How Long Before Baby Deer Can Walk?

Baby deer try to make their first steps after only 20 minutes after their birth and start to fully walk in around seven hours. How about that. How long did it take for you to do that?

Why Do Baby Deer Have Spots And When Do They Lose Them?

Baby deer are born with a beautiful reddish-brown fur that is full of white spots. It is a consensus among scientists that they are a form of camouflage. When baby deer lie down in grass it is almost impossible to spot them. These white spots mimic the light coming through the grass and make the life difficult for predators like wolves or bears. In many species, baby deer will lose these spots during or by the end of their first summer.

When Do Baby Deer Grow Antlers?

Baby deer start growing their first antlers at 10-12 months of age, it’s the first spring after they are born. Only male deer or bucks grow antlers. Well, that’s not entirely true as one in 10,000 females also grow antlers. Males regrow their antlers every year.

White-tailed deer antlers are basically bones and are comprised of roughly 23% calcium, 10% phosphorus, 0.5% magnesium, 0.8% sodium, 0.3% sulfur, and a combination of iron, zinc, copper, aluminum, potassium, manganese, and other elements.