Got this pic today...

...very small to be following Ma.

Oh how teeny!!! Really precious

I have a plague of does and fawns here right now. 4 does left at least 7 fawns in my ditch line of sour cherry trees yesterday. The does ran up the hill, behind my quarantine barn, leaving the fawns to awkwardly crash around in a panic. They are eating a lot of my fruit and trees. I can apply for a nuisance permit, but don't like the idea of killing them when the fawn are so small and cute. When my apples get closer to done, I need to do something.

Last year, when I could not walk, deer and rabbits devastated my hazelnut trees and grape vines and took most of my apples and pears within their reach.

Keith

We saw 2 coveys of grouse this week. The one group of babies were smaller than Chickadees and sitting on rocking trying to get warm in the sun. I do enjoy the new "growth" of Spring.

I've only seen baby grouse, once. A friend and I were driving back roads, in South East, Ohio, looking for snakes and turtles, on a day with mixed sun and thunderstorms. Weather like that brings out the reptiles to sun on and along the roads. A grouse hen started walking slowly in from of us and stopped in the middle of the gravel road. I got out of my car and a lot of little, sparrow sized grouse, flew up into the trees, from the side of the road. I was surprised they flew so well. My area of the state is totally devoid of grouse. I've seen less than 2 dozen grouse in my whole life.

Keith

I can see that many grouse in a day..........and never leave my place. I like grouse...........but I rarely shoot them here. I save them for kids of people that truly appreciate being able to see or shoot one. Unless things change, we should have another banner year of the m this year.

3 does calved right up here by the house this year and it is surprising how tiny they start and how quickly they grow and can run with momma.

On horseback you can ride up on them bedded down- they don't have any fear until the doe reaches it to them.

Have a doe right now in my backyard ready to pop, saw another brand new fawn this morning running crab pots and a couple more a day or two old.

Up here it seems that the june solstice is prime time for fawns.

no pics but I have seen a few does with fawns walking through bean fields this last week

this morning I kicked up a hen turkey and chick that was just old enough to fly , it flew up to a dead tree and the hen flew out across the hay field landed and ran a ways , I was taking the field road between an overgrown pasture and the hay field.

I have hauled 49 turkey egg eaters out of just a few acres of this property in the last 12 days so while it is sad she only has one chick , I can definitely understand why.