Fawn Found Outdoors Is Probably Not Abandoned

 By Kendra Bobowick

Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason can tell by the number of calls she gets these days about deer that the females have begun to drop their young.

“I always get calls for fawns in the yard,” she said.

The doe may leave her fawn alone and nestled in tall grass for several hours, which is a normal sight at this time of year.

“Right now the deer fawns will be left alone because the mom needs to go eat.” Offering reassurance, she said, “The mothers will come back.” If a resident notices that a fawn appears to be alone for several days, however, Ms Mason suggested the homeowner call her.

Wildlife Biologist Howard Kilpatrick, with the Wildlife Division of the Department of Environmental Protection, is also familiar with the calls that come to his office as people see the fawns. The young deer are normally born late this month through early June.

“Around now they start to drop fawns and for the first week or two the does often leave to feed,” he said. Mr Kilpatrick noted one unusual fact that may provide protection for the young deer.

“When fawns are first born they have no scent. They are scentless and depend on camouflage,” he said. Residents may see the spotted baby regardless of the natural disguise.

“People often see the fawn without the doe and think it has been orphaned, and that almost never is the case,” he said.

When his office receives a call, coworkers encourage people to leave the fawn alone. “We discourage it unless you can confirm that a doe [is dead]; it’s almost never the case.” Residents who believe they are helping a baby by taking it in and nurturing it may actually be bringing harm to the young animal.

“If you raise it in captivity and release it, it has lost its fear of people…the best thing is to leave it in the wild,” Mr Kilpatrick cautioned.

A fact sheet found on the DEP website provides information warning against removing a fawn from outdoors.

The document states: “Frequently, well-meaning people find a fawn alone in the woods and bring it home without realizing that the doe was nearby all the time. To divert the attention of predators, female deer only visit their fawns three or four times a day, for about 15 minutes per visit, in order to feed them. Not only is removing a healthy fawn from the wild illegal, but it also reduces the animal’s chances of survival. To assist a fawn that has definitely been abandoned or injured, contact the Wildlife Division for the name of a licensed rehabilitator in your area. These trained volunteers are the only people who can legally rehabilitate wildlife in the state.”

Noting another unusual piece of information, Ms Mason indicated that she has read reports that deer are having their babies in closer to residences, which deter coyotes from harming the fawn. Mr Kilpatrick has not seen any documentation about this theory, however, but agrees that people tend to find fawns in the yard.

“What probably happens is people find fawns that are near the house, but they don’t see the ones deep in the woods,” he noted. Also, both the deer population and residential growth may be adding to the frequency with which homeowners spot a fawn.

“There are only so many places to drop a fawn,” he said.

Newtown Animal Control can be contacted at 426-6900. For more information, visit the DEP website at www.ct.gov/dep; the Wildlife Division can be contacted at 860-642-7239.