Years ago when I was hunting with one of my college roommates, we were coming out of the woods and we spooked a doe and a fawn hiding in thick brush. The doe ran off like a shot, while the fawn bounded through the brush in a circle, and came right back to stand directly beside me. After standing there in shock for a few minutes, I reached down and flicked the fawn’s tail, and it kicked up, then bounded off down the trail after its mother.

I’ve told that story a few times to family and friends over the years, and got the “yeah, uh-huh,” verbal eye-roll from people that suggests that they just can believe a young deer is that dumb… or who assume I’m just telling a hunters tall tale (and I would never do that).

The video is stunning, and mildly not safe for work due to profanity.

Now that you’ve seen this adorable little guy wander across a live firing range to lick a still-warm gun barrel, what do you think about the survival instincts of young fawns now?

(h/t to The Gun Feed)