Born Wild, Stay Wild: Fawn Follies

Each spring, thousands of fawns (baby deer) are born throughout Ohio. Unfortunately, people sometimes pick up these wild animals because they think they are lost or abandoned. While their intentions are good, people may do more harm than good when trying to “help” fawns.
It is normal for a fawn to lay motionless in order to remain hidden in a hay field, a grassy meadow, or even in a flowerbed. A doe will protect her young from predators by leaving it alone all day long. This is to prevent attracting predators to the fawn’s location.
Regardless of where she left the fawn, the doe will stay away until after dark, when she will return to nurse it. When a person sees a fawn curled up on the ground and the doe is nowhere in sight, it is a common mistake to believe the fawn is abandoned and scoop it up. But no one can care for young deer like a doe can. If you find a lone fawn, leave it where it is – the doe will come back to care for it.

 

Information courtesy of the Ohio Division of Wildlife