Please do not “rescue” a baby whitetail deer, with few exceptions
By Andrew Harris, SLIDESHOW from John Tucker
I saw my first fawn of the year yesterday, barely able to walk yet and enjoying some of first nourishment from mom. When the mother noticed me the newborn suddenly dropped into the grass and mother ran off.
Typically the doe will plant her fawn in a safe spot when threatened, or to go have lunch with her herd. This behavior often leaves the fawn seemingly vulnerable and alone when a human discovers the newborn. At birth and curled up in a protective ball, a young fawn is only a few pounds and the size of a basketball. What a slideshow from our pal John Tucker:
As much as the need to “save” the baby pulls at your instincts, keep in mind that even touching the fawn could prove fatal. In almost every instance the best thing a human can do is to slowly walk away. The mother is almost always nearby and able to communicate vocally with her newborn. To disturb the doe-fawn dynamic at this early stage of life invites tragedy.
While in 99% of human-fawn interactions do not require any intervention, here are a few rare instances that a human can help:
1- Fawn discovered with deceased doe. The newborn won’t survive long without nursing.
2- Fawn alone for more than 24 hours, no sign of the doe. In this case take a little closer look at the fawns ears. If dehydrated and malnourished, the tips of the ears will begin to curl. While not a foolproof indicator, it could be a reason to keep a closer eye on the fawn. Read more about the indication of ear curl from Enviroliteracy.com.
3 – Fawn-human interaction gone wrong. Finding a fawn inside of a window well, home, or outbuilding is not normal or natural. The doe is likely aware of the situation and is monitoring from a distance. In these cases the best thing a human can do is to remove the fawn from the lurch and place nearby in a safe place. Keep an eye on the situation, it is likely the mother will return soon.
While it might be sad and hard to be an observer, many fawns are killed by predators. Resist the urge to interject on behalf of the fawn as they are part of an important annual natural process. While we love to see them thrive, other wildlife from black bear to red-winged blackbirds, rely on that mortality for the survival of their newborns.
These situations are often not black and white, luckily there is now help for our region from the Finger Lakes Wildlife Hotline. If you need to contact this hotline, be patient as they are dealing with hundreds of calls each week. Read our previous reporting on this new service with contact information within:
