June 12 - June 18
Discover Nature as young wildlife emerges from hiding places to venture into the world.
Often times, this typically is when conflict occurs between nature and humans. Conservation offices and employees get a wide variety of calls and contacts about young wildlife that may be abandoned by their parents, especially “orphaned deer.” Some people want to raise the supposed orphans themselves, while others want to know where to take the animal to be cared for.
It’s important to remember that it’s illegal to attempt to care for wildlife without the proper permit. Professional training and expertise is needed in order to care for a wild animal so it has the best chance of survival. Even with proper care, the odds of survival for wildlife that are brought up in captivity aren’t good.
Typically a young deer is not an “orphan.” What we don’t realize when we find these young animals is that more often than not, mom is around somewhere. When a doe gives birth to a fawn, usually in May or June, it places that fawn in an area that’s well suited to hide it from predators. This process allows the deer to have a very good chance of survival in the wild.
When humans come in contact with a young fawn, we can contaminate it by leaving our scent on it. A doe will leave a fawn for several hours at a time in order to eat, drink, and refurbish its milk supply to feed the fawn. Removing the young fawn from its hiding place can make it extremely difficult to ensure that the young deer will be reunited with its mother and can potentially lead to the fawn’s death.
So as cute as a fawn may be, leave it where you find it. This will help to ensure the fawn lives to see another day.