I got out of the car with just my 18-200 mm lens and spotted this White-tailed Deer spotting me. I took a few pictures–far away and a dull day.
Then I sauntered back to the car for my long lens (100-400mm) and amazingly the Deer never moved while I got to a closer spot.
Until he did.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
August 2, 2025
Another photographer told me about this young fawn just off the boardwalk. It would be easy to pass right by without seeing it; in fact I saw some chatty folks do just that.
The fawn never moved while I took a few photographs.
I did two circuits around the Beidler boardwalk and the second time around he was in the same spot, tucked down even further and appeared to be asleep.
As I walked away something startled him and he took off like a shot. I expect the Doe wasn’t far off. Deer are known to leave their young on their own as their spotty camouflage and lack of scent protects them from predators.
Francis Beidler Forest, SC
April 14, 2023
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
July 3, 2022
White-tailed Deer are one of the mammals on Saint Phillips Island, and this one was not at all disturbed by a passing pickup truck and trailer with 20 humans watching him.
It was hot that day and I hadn’t even seen a squirrel, so was rather surprised to see this buck.
He finally did stand up, but showed no alarm.
Tucked into the roots of a Cypress Tree this new born fawn was hunkered down, surrounded by water.
I’m not sure how he got there; it would have been interesting to watch and know what was on the mother’s mind.
A few hundred feet away was a watchful pair of eyes and listening ears. This one seemed way to small to be the mother, perhaps it was an older cousin.
