The return of fawn season
Posted April 30, 2022 at 9:34 am by San Juan Update
Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center shares some advice about how to help fawns on the island this spring.
There may be fewer deer in the San Juans than last year, but quite a few fawns will still be born in the next few weeks. You may come across a tiny fawn curled up in the grass in your yard or hidden under a bush when you walk in the woods. It will probably be all on its own with no mom in sight, but that’s perfectly normal.
If you find a fawn, the best thing to do is quietly move away and leave it in peace so its mom can return later. Please don’t get close or touch the fawn.
For the first couple of weeks, a fawn’s legs are too weak to follow mom through the woods, so its job is to lie still and quiet, camouflaged by its spotted coat. Mom may leave for six to eight hours before returning to feed her fawn and perhaps move it to a different spot nearby. By the time they are about three weeks old, their legs are stronger, and they can travel longer distances, but fawns are still not as fast as mom. This means they are vulnerable, not only to natural predators but also to our dogs, so this is an especially good time to keep your dog under control and not let it run loose.
You may occasionally find a tiny fawn lying curled up in the middle of the road. This usually happens when a new fawn is slowly following mom across the hard surface and a car suddenly appears. Mom leaps off into the bushes and the fawn instinctively drops to the ground and freezes. If the fawn is unhurt, slide your hand under its belly, gently carry it a few feet off the side of the road and leave it in a safe, sheltered spot. Mom is probably nearby, waiting for you to leave so she can return for her baby.
If you are concerned that a fawn may be injured or separated from mom, please call Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 360-378-5000. We’d be happy to help you work out what’s going on or bring the youngster in for care if it truly needs help.
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Categories: Around Here
One comment:
One comment...
So glad to see this warning. When I came across a fawn hiding while I was weed-wacking nettles on my septic drain field, I didn’t know any of this until I called Wolf Hollow. I was able to move it safely to another hiding spot with bare hands as advised. Thank you Wolf Hollow!
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