Spring Fawns: Misplaced Or Misunderstood?

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Deer moms have it tough. It isn’t easy to raise a fragile, newborn fawn in the wild, and sometimes people make the job even harder.

"Fawns face unique risks, some the result of human actions," said Quentin Kujala, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife bureau chief in Helena. "Many fawns trailing their mothers across roads are hit when motorists slow for the doe and don’t realize a fawn is following her. Another risk for fawns is when dog owners allow their dogs to run loose."

One of the biggest challenges a doe faces is caring for the fawn and eating enough to produce the milk the fawn needs. A female deer generally solves this dilemma by hiding its fawn in a "safe" place while she grazes for several hours at a time.

"To someone unfamiliar with the ways of deer, it appears that the newborn is abandoned," Kujala said. "But the fawn is left behind because it is too small to follow the doe for the distance she must travel to get the nutrition she needs to care for the fawn."

Unless it has experienced an obvious physical injury, a fawn found alone is most likely healthy and waiting for its mother to return.

Kujala also warned that a doe can be very protective of a fawn if it perceives that its offspring is threatened.

Mule deer have displayed aggression toward dogs and people in city settings. Kujala said that though it may not be apparent, in some cases a fawn may be hidden nearby. Also, within city limits deer are more confined and may react to a threat more aggressively than when in the wild.

So, how can people help a deer raising a fawn?

Kujala advises leaving the scene immediately if you find a fawn. The doe will return only when there are no humans or disturbance nearby.  

It is also helpful to:

*        keep dogs on leashes to avoid unexpected encounters with fawns,

*        call a dog off immediately if it flushes a young fawn from its hiding place,   restrain the dog if necessary and leave the area. Fawns are too fragile to withstand being chased or threatened by a dog.

*        don’t touch the fawn or move it. The doe will come to reclaim the fawn.

Kujala said the doe will not reject its fawn even if there is human scent near or on it, so it is never too late to simply move on.

"If you remove a newborn wild animal from the wild, FWP will likely ask you to return the animal to the location where it was picked up," Kujala said.  

Remember too, it is illegal to remove or possess any game animals and other creatures such as game birds, songbirds, furbearers or birds of prey from the wild. Fines can be issued for these violations.

For more information about living with wildlife, visit FWP’s Living With Wildlife web page.