This is a Fawn


Around this area we have one type of deer, known as the Whitetail Deer. Named mostly do to the wave of their tail to signal the sign of danger. They actually use their tail to announce to other deer in the herd that danger is near. So if your walking through the woods and you see a deer running off with the white part of its tail showing you can bet it has found you by your scent or your sounds before you found it.

Deer are also edge browsers, this means that they will mostly stay close to the edge of the woods that border human development. This is mostly do to food being plentiful in those areas.

Of course there are a few other things to know about deer if your going to try and photograph them. For one thing they have an uncanny sense of smell and hearing. Those big long ears are like radar beacons honing in on any little sound.  And deer can catch your sent on the breeze for many yards away. 


This Buck is about 2 or 3 Years old


The male deer are known as Bucks -- they will usually have antlers -- not horns -- antlers are grown each spring and summer and shed each winter.  Female deer are known as Does -- they have no antlers on their head and can usually be found with some young around them. The young are known as fawns, fawns when born in the spring will have spots and will usually keep their spots until the first winter, after which time they are then classified as a yearling Buck or Doe.


This is a young Buck


Deer are extremely difficult to photograph, the only successful way I have found, is to scout out the area where you know the deer are, several times and learn the routes or paths the deer follow to food or water. Once you have a pretty good idea of the route they travel from one place to another you can set yourself up along their trail in a blind, dressed in camo or both. Its best to disguise your human form as much as possible including your scent.