Sunday, June 14, 2026

Twin Deer Fawns Were Born in My Yard Last Week!



The adorable twin mule deer fawns seen in this photo in my backyard were born last week on June 8th, 2026!


Google made this collage a bit out of sequence order...

My husband and I had gone out for breakfast to celebrate our June birthdays, and when we arrived home, we looked out the window to see if there were any deer in our yard, as we wanted to do some gardening. We saw a Mule Deer doe lying in the shade under a pine tree in our side yard. It was a hot day with temperatures reaching 90 degrees. When we saw two hoves, we realized she was in labor and about to give birth!
 
The gestation period for a Mule Deer's pregnancy is around 200 days, and many in our neighborhood were also seeing fawns being born. This was the second time we witnessed fawns being born in our backyard in the thirteen years we have lived here--see the first time in this blog post. 



Female deer that are giving birth for the first time, often called yearlings, typically have only a single fawn. Mature does, however, frequently produce twins. I could see this deer was still in labor with the second twin when a curious buck showed up in our yard! If you look closely, you can see that his new antlers were beginning to grow in.


A doe licks the newborn fawn and eats every part of the products of birth to remove their scent and protect the fawn from predators. The buck came close to see what she was doing, and she had to get up and chase him away three times before he left for good!


It was nice to watch how caring the Momma doe was to her fawn.



A short YouTube video of the first fawn twin taking its first steps on wobbly legs.



The doe retreated under the pine tree again to give birth to the second fawn.


It began to thunder, and we had a brief rain shower, so she stayed under the tree during the storm.


When the sun returned, the firstborn twin curled up to take a nap...


...while the doe cleaned the second-born twin and bonded with it.



Momma Doe also looked ready to take a nap! 

They all remained in our backyard until the next morning, when they left. 
Important: a doe will leave her fawns for long periods of time to protect them from predators, as fawns' fur does not have a discernible scent. She will return for short periods to allow them to feed. If you ever come across a fawn that is alone when hiking, leave it be!


It was the end of a beautiful day!

I know these fawns will be back in my yard from time to time this summer, and it will be fun watching them grow!


 



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