Little Spotted Fawns

Fawn in the tall grass – Contributed photo

Here’s a note from Shona over at Wolf Hollow about all the little fawns out and about these days…

Hello
I was wondering if you could post this article about fawns. We are receiving calls from people who are worried because they have seen fawns “all on their own”, and we would like to remind people that this is natural behavior for very young fawns.

Thank You
Shona Aitken – Education Coordinator
Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

“There’s a tiny fawn lying curled up in my yard and I can’t see its Mom anywhere”.

Most of the Black-tailed Deer fawns in our area are born in May, and for the first couple of weeks, they are not strong enough to follow Mom for any distance. Their legs are too weak and wobbly to push through brush, jump over fallen logs or run away from danger, so their mother leaves them in a sheltered spot while she goes off to feed. The fawn’s job is to lie quiet and still and wait for her to return, protected by the camouflage of its spotted coat and the fact that it has almost no scent to attract predators.

After a few hours (up to 6 or 8 hours is not unusual) the doe returns to nurse her fawn, then may move it to another spot nearby before going off to feed again. By the time the fawn is about 3 weeks old it has grown much stronger and is able to spend more time following its mother.

Each year we raise injured fawns, or orphans whose mothers have been killed by cars or dogs, but, sadly, we also receive fawns that have been “kidnapped” by well-meaning people. We have suitable formula and enclosures to raise fawns, but it is far better for them to be raised by their mothers, so, if you come across a little, spotted fawn lying curled up in the grass, please don’t touch it. Leave it there so Mom can find it when she returns. If it is in a dangerous place, or seems injured, call Wolf Hollow at 360 378 5000 and we will be happy to discuss details with you.

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