Deer fawning season - Find a fawn? If you care, leave it there
Fawn photos by FWC.
White-tailed deer fawning can last many months in Florida. Sometimes, people assume a fawn they find alone has been abandoned, and they try to rescue it. But instead of trying to rescue it, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises that you leave it alone.
During the first few weeks of a fawn’s life, a doe will hide her offspring then move to a safe distance to prevent her scent from attracting predators to the young animal’s hiding spot, although she’ll return often to nurse and care for the fawn. While hidden, the baby deer might lie motionless as a survival mechanism to deter predators, and people sometimes mistakenly think that a fawn’s lack of movement means it’s sick or injured, prompting them to remove the animal to get it help.
If you find a fawn that you think is abandoned, do not touch it, pick it up, or remove it from its natural environment. Instead, leave it alone and quietly move away from the area. If you come across a fawn and need additional direction, you can contact the appropriate FWC Regional Office for assistance. Find your FWC Regional Office here: myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/regional-offices.
With the recent detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Florida, the FWC has instituted new management actions within a defined zone to limit the spread of the disease. The rehabilitation of deer within that zone is prohibited by a new executive order.
For more information about deer in Florida, visit myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/deer.
Additional information about what to do if you find what appears to be injured or orphaned wildlife can be found here: myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/injured-orphaned.