Best gardening moment I've ever had!

[Vinca]

Today, while harvesting snap peas, I heard a ruckus in the woods about 20 feet from the garden. Since we've had a bear around, I assumed I was in big trouble. Instead, 2 of the sweetest fawns - twins - hopped out from the trees and stopped about 10 feet from me. They hung around a minute or so, checking me out. I wish I could have hugged them they were so cute! No sign of mama deer, which is a little bothersome, but they looked healthy and I saw them grazing on grass, so maybe they're just newly on their own. It really made my day.

[Tucker08087]

1. Aw! I love this story!

I have a deer feeder in my front yard and two babies have been coming (with Mama, though) and I’ve discovered they love watermelon rinds. We had a melon on the 4th and I always toss what would be considered vegetable compost in the feeder. It was so hot, I thought maybe they would just eat the leftover flesh that we didn’t eat, but they ate the whole thing and I noticed them back the next night. When I went back to the fruit stand, I bought two: one for them and one for us!

[Frustratedlady]

2. Momma was around. She stands back in the woods and watches them until they are

a bit more experienced. We used to worry about that, as well, but in photos of the fawns (we had twins and triplets several times), you could see her back in the trees. In person, you really have to concentrate, but she's undoubtedly there.

I have a timber behind me and beyond the fence is tall grass and trees. If I sit and watch the entire scene, I can see the grass move and if I concentrate, I can see the doe's nose and eyes. After she is sure everything is OK, she will move out into the open. They are clever in their camouflage. They keep near the fawns long after the spots are gone. I have 16 does that come to my yard and they bring their fawns/yearlings with them...most of mine stay with them in the first year. Kind of like mother and daughters out shopping together. The youngsters are very polite to their mothers. It's fun to watch. In the winter, I feed them cracked corn and the young ones will stand back and let the mother eat first and then they step in. Not so much with the bucks. They are bullies and rough with the young ones.

[JohnnyLib2]

3. How nice for you!

We've seen twins for the first time this year and have heard two similar stories here in KY. Makes you wonder.
We didn't get a good picture. Did you?

[Vinca]

6. Sorry,no photo. My husband said we should think about keeping a camera with us all the time.

A couple of weeks ago we had another incident that wasn't quite so wonderful. The crows started making a racket and when I looked out I spotted a fox and it was headed towards a doe and fawn. I chased it away, but I haven't seen the doe and fawn since. We had a couple of turkeys around today, too. I can't imagine not living in the country.

[Rebl2]

4. We've had a fawn

and mother coming to our backyard the last week and it seems pretty independent. Mama will be grazing and fawn just wanders all over the place, sometimes out of her sight. Last night the fawn seemed to want to hang out with the bucks and not his mama. Told my husband he wants to hang out with the big boys until one took a swipe at him. He went running back to mama!

[sinkingfeeling]

5. I have a doe with 2 fawns that I've named Kitty. Because every time I

call my cats by "kitty, kitty, kitty", the mama comes out of the woods. For some reason, this year she's not bringing the kids except a couple of times a week.