I found a Baby Fawn in my yard!

White-tailed Deer fawns are born from late May through early June. Usually a doe, or female deer, has twins. Occasionally, a single fawn or triplets are born. Fawns are born with their eyes open and within hours are able to stand on wobbly legs. From birth the fawns are left alone for much of the day while their mothers go off to feed. This reduces the likelihood that the mother will attract a predator to the fawn. The camouflaged fawn knows to lie down and be very still, to avoid attracting predators. Mothers generally return only at dusk and dawn to move and feed fawns.

The best thing you can do if you find a healthy fawn is to simply leave it alone.

Quietly take a few pictures if you’d like, and then carefully step away and stay away. If the fawn is on your own property, you might also want to help protect it by bringing your pets inside until the mother has returned.

If you are concerned that the doe is not feeding the fawn, you may go back the next day (24 hours) to check if the fawn is still there. If the fawn is gone, the mother has likely retrieved the fawn, and they have moved on.

“Don’t be a fawn-kidnapper” In most cases, a fawn found alone has not been abandoned and is not helpless – it’s a young animal still receiving care from its mother. Despite our well-meaning intentions, the best chance for survival of a fawn is to leave it in its mother’s care.

Learn the difference when a fawn needs your distance, not your help!

If a fawn truly does need help, you’ll usually know:

• Mama deer is dead (hit by a car, for instance)
• Fawn will be visibly thin and dehydrated
• Visibly injured (open wounds, broken legs)
• Ears will be curled and it may be covered in fly eggs or maggots
• Following humans around in confusion and desperation.

In these cases do not move the fawn, CALL a licensed rehabilitator for advice on the next steps to take.

Fawns kidnapped from the wild often die even with the best care, and almost always die when raised by people with no training or experience. Individuals without rehabilitation training and permits should never attempt to raise a baby deer and should especially avoid feeding cow’s milk to fawns. Despite best efforts, most deer hand-raised by private citizens will die or need to be euthanized. Fawns also commonly carry bacteria and parasites, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, both of which can infect humans.

If you see a baby deer that looks abandoned, don’t kidnap it.

If you think you have found an abandoned fawn give Adair’s a call and we’ll connect you to a state licensed rehabilitator.