White-tailed deer

Spotted, wide-eyed, and nearly invisible in dappled light, a white-tailed deer fawn waits in the tall grass while its mother stays close by. Graceful and alert, the white-tailed deer is the most commonly seen deer in Manitoba, ranging across forest, farmland, and river valleys. The flash of its white tail raised in alarm is a familiar sight.

Fawns are born in late spring and early summer with a coat of white spots that helps them blend into the grass and shadows. Their mothers often leave them hidden for hours while they feed, returning to nurse. The white-tailed deer is Manitoba’s most widespread deer, named for the white underside of the tail that flashes when it bolts. Males, called bucks, grow and shed a new set of antlers every year, and fawns are born in late spring with white spots that help them hide in tall grass.

This is a favourite frame of a white-tailed deer fawn, with the doe just visible beside it.

White-tailed deer fawn with a spotted coat standing in bright green grass beside a doe

Photos

  • White-tailed deer fawn with a spotted coat standing in bright green grass beside a doe
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 4
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 5
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 6
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 7
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 8
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 9
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 10
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 11
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 12
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 13
  • White-tailed deer photographed in Manitoba, 15

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