White-tailed doe and fawn in Wisconsin, USA

Into the woods

Catching a glimpse of a deer makes the world go suddenly quiet. One clumsy move or sudden noise could send these two white-tailed deer, with a flash of their namesake rumps, deeper into the woods. The fawn sports dappled spots to help it disappear into its surroundings – allowing it to hide in tall grass or foliage on the forest floor. If it senses danger, it goes very still, slowing its breathing and heart rate to help it fade into the background. By early autumn, it will start to lose those protective spots.

These deer can be spotted all the way from southern Canada down to South America and thrive in a variety of habitats, ranging from forests and grasslands to city suburbs. This doe and fawn were photographed in the US state of Wisconsin, which picked the white-tailed deer as its state wildlife animal back in 1957.