[johnm1]

I am not sure if I should be more honored or concerned. A Little background. I’m a very poor dove Hunter so I hunt areas that don’t have a lot of hunters. Which also means there aren’t a lot of dove. It is my way of saving ammunition. But I like to get out. So I hunt some state trust land here in Arizona. It has been overgrazed for 100 years and I have no idea how it supports any wildlife at all. I have been surprised in this area to scare up two Deer previously. The area is sparsely populated with mostly shrubbery. The natural grasses were gone nearly a century ago. I think it is somewhat of a crime that the state has missed managed the land but that’s another story.

We had a storm last night and there was hardly a dove to be seen flying anywhere this morning. Throughout the morning I had heard foot falls less than a hundred yards to my South. As I walked to a new area the foot falls were not very far away. They were definitely of a larger animal. Possibly a badger or one of the large jack rabbits that inhabit this area. I decided to sit in the shade of a nearby shrub and see if I could wait what ever it was out. I took the time to unfold my stool and make myself comfortable. I sat for four or five minutes before I noticed something at my feet. Lo and behold it turns out it was a newborn fawn. I couldn’t resist and took the opportunity to take a few photographs. And backed out of the area 60 or 70 yards to take a short video. I then moved out of the area completely. But the overall time I was exposed to the newborn fawn was probably 6 to 7 minutes. Consider for over five of those minutes I did not know it was there. I then moved out of the area completely. The foot falls I heard had to be of the mother deer. I never saw her though I suspect she was less than 30 yards from where I was. I could hear every footstep she made from a good distance away. So I’m certain she didn’t run off. Plus the landscape is very low. And I would have been able to see her move if she were moving away.

Consider this is September 3rd. The video I took from 70 yards clearly shows that the fawn was just a few days old. It had difficulty walking. My real concern is that my presence might cause the mother to abandon her fawn.

When I initially noticed something at my feet I could see an ear. I assumed it was one of the Jack rabbits that inhabit the area.

I have had difficulties in the past posting pictures to any forum. So bear with me I don’t get this right on the first try.

We had a storm last night and I only saw one dove the entire morning. As long as I didn’t endanger the fawn I considere the morning a great success.

I am interested in the answer to two questions.

Did I in endanger the fawn just by me being there.

How in the world can a fawn be born 1 September? Consider the rut in far south Arizona often occurs in December and sometimes as late as January. But, this was just east of Phoenix.

Your opinions are welcome.