Those of us fortunate to live near our region's last urban forests may happen upon white- tailed deer. Most fawns are born between the middle of May and the end of June. Here are a few "fawn facts" to help you get to know them even better.

• The gestation period for white-tailed deer is approximately seven months. Does usually give birth to one to three fawns at a time.
• Fawns can stand just 20 minutes after birth, can walk haltingly in an hour, and can outrun a human in just five days!
• A doe may nurse her fawn three to four times a day. Deer milk is very rich, with a fat content of around 12% (compared to 4% in whole milk from cows we humans drink).
• For safety, a doe will hide her fawns separately from one another. Mother deer may venture as far as a half-mile away (still within hearing distance) of her offspring. If you find a fawn on its own, do not assume it is abandoned. Often, mother is nearby keeping tabs on her young.
• The white spots on a fawn's fur helps camouflage it from predators. They lose their spots at around nine months of age.
• Yearlings are fawns that are a year old; at that point, they may mate and have fawns of their own.