Fawns

Baby deer are susceptible to well intentioned but misguided "rescues" by people. Fawns are cute and look vulnerable when they are found alone in the woods but they are in fact quite safe if left alone.

Deer have developed biological and physiological mechanisms that improve their ability to survive in the wild. The mother deer will routinely hide her defenseless babies in brush or tall grass while she moves away to forage for food. This behavior reduces the chance that her activities will attract a predator to her baby. She will return to the fawn only a few times during the day to nurse it. Fawns can remain totally motionless for extended periods of time, and essentially give off no odor at this stage of their development. A predator can walk right by such hidden fawns without detecting their presence.

If you come across a fawn, do not touch it unless it is obviously injured or if you know that the mother is dead. The mother will almost always be nearby watching you, although you may not see her. Call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice before taking any action. You may be asked to go back and check on the fawn after several hours. If it is still in the same spot, it may need to be helped. Fawns that have been "rescued" can be successfully reunited with their mother up to eight hours after they have been removed. The mother will remain in the area looking for her baby during that time.

Only as a last resort should fawns be brought into a rehabilitation center. Bottle-fed babies are susceptible to imprinting or to becoming too tame to be released, and require specialized conditions to be raised successfully.