White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Chickasaw National Recreation Area, 2015.

In the Americas, the white-tailed deer is the most widely-distributed wild ungulate. Fawns are born around May or June and usually lose their spots during the first summer. For the first month, fawns mostly lie still and hide in vegetation while their mothers forage. After this time they are able to follow their mothers on foraging trips. Most fawns are weaned by 10 weeks of age, though some have been seen nursing many months after losing their spots. NOTE: if you see a fawn curled up in the grass alone, it has not been abandoned. Do not approach this animal. The mother will return shortly.