Fawning all over the garden

June 07, 2011


Spotted, knobby kneed fawns are taking their first wobbly walks through the neighborhood, even in broad daylight under a strong, noonday sun.


This doe and fawn strolled through my neighbor’s yard a few days ago, enjoying the cool green of the grass, I imagine. The fawn stopped for lunch along the way.


I’m not sentimental about our overpopulated deer herds in northwest Austin, but even I have to admit this is a cute pair.


Cute until they start chomping down my deer-resistant plants, I reckon.

All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

13 responses to “Fawning all over the garden”

  1. Weeder says:

    They ARE adorable but you are right about the over population issues. The doe that lived and had babies on my property for the last 9 years was killed by a car 2 weeks ago. I miss her but I do notice the absence of her mouth on my plants. Her yearling doelette hasn’t become a problem… yet… I love the deer but it is nice to have “unpruned” things as well.

  2. Yes…they are cute. But, they’ll be chomping on your plants soon.

    We had FIVE in the back, just the other night. Haven’t seen as many as last year, though. Not much out there for them to eat this year.

  3. I found a newborn fawn in my garden a couple of years ago, and every year at this time I carefully check all of the nooks and crannies for another. It was one of the most magical finds ever!

  4. David C. says:

    Very cool scene, but I can almost hear their conversation. Doe – “if it weren’t for the heat of The Death Star, we would be safer to browse on her mangaves at noon, when Pam’s hides inside.” Fawn – “she’s a mother like you, not like that Elmer Fudd guy down the street, we’re safe as long as we don’t eat too much!”

  5. Darla says:

    There are so precious in the wild, not so much in the gardens…

  6. Oh how beautiful to have this in your garden!

  7. I feel like you do. The little ones are adorable.

    But the newborn that was hidden on my front porch 4 years ago has spawned a herd of 7 that think my yard is home. And we’re fencing plants they’ve never eaten before…

  8. Yes, it’s June. Fawn time. My neighbor just sent around a photo (her 1st year in the hood) because she was so excited! LOL They are adorable, but the ones growing up here don’t fear us at all…we’re just as normal to them as a tree. When you see my garden soon, you may see deer as well.

  9. It’s all about your familiarity level, right? While I would just swoon to see these two in my garden, we live in such an urban area that our biggest wildlife are raccoons – I have NO warm fuzzy feelings about them! But you could send me your sweet pair of deer.

  10. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    Aawwwww. That is such a sweet sighting. I can imagine your frustration though when they decide to snack on your plantings.

  11. Sylvia McCormick-Wormley says:

    Then there is the dreaded Lyme disease from deer ticks concern….do you have a good deer barrier?

    Ha! Good one, Sylvia. No, there’s no way to bar the deer from the front yard, and they come right up to the house. The back is fenced, but there’s a greenbelt behind us, and the deer stroll along the fence every morning and evening. We haven’t worried about Lyme disease too much, as we haven’t seen any ticks since we’ve lived here. But we do get a few biting horseflies (deer flies?) in the summer, and I suspect it’s the deers’ fault. —Pam

  12. Lola says:

    They are cute but so destructible. I think they will eat anything. Liked to watch them in my deer stand at hunting club yrs ago. Wild turkeys & all sorts of animals.

  13. Herb Bennet says:

    I guess we are fortunate living in a suburb – been here for 6 years and have never seen any deer. Only Sandhill cranes, egrets, heron, storks, eagles, hawks, bobcats, otters, etc. but they all stay out of my garden. I do wish I had your camera eye. You take beautiful photos.