Baby fawns don’t need ‘saving’

June 5, 2021 | By Vermont Fish & Wildlife

A fawn rests in ground cover vegetation. Photo courtesy Vt. Fish & Wildlife 

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says deer fawns are being born this time of year and people should avoid disturbing or picking them up. 

Most deer fawns are born in late May and the first and second weeks of June, according to Vermont deer biologist Nick Fortin. 

It’s best to keep your distance because the fawn’s mother is almost always nearby, Fortin said. When people see a small fawn alone, they often mistakenly assume it is helpless, lost, or needing to be rescued, but that’s usually not the case.  

Fortin explained that fawns do not attempt to evade predators during their first few weeks, instead they rely on camouflage and stillness to remain undetected. During these times, fawns learn critical survival skills from their mothers.  Bringing a fawn into a human environment results in separation from its mother, and it usually results in a sad ending for the animal.

Fortin encourages people to resist the urge to assist wildlife in ways that may be unintentionally harmful. He offered these insights:

• Deer nurse their young at different times during the day and often leave their young alone for long periods of time. These animals are not lost. Their mother knows where they are and will return.

• Deer normally will not feed or care for their young when people are close by. 

• Deer fawns will imprint on humans and lose their natural fear of people, which can be essential to their survival. 

• Keep domestic pets under control at all times.  Dogs often will kill fawns and other baby animals. 

Fortin also reminds the public that taking a wild animal into captivity is illegal in Vermont. “It’s in the best interest of Vermonters and the wildlife that live here for all of us to maintain a respectful distance and help keep wildlife wild,” he said.