Don't Rescue Baby Wildlife

Early summer is the time most likely that hikers, backpackers and campers will come across what appears to be an abandoned fawn. Often it will be curled up in a forest or field, and in many cases a vigilant doe will be nowhere nearby.

Outdoorsmen need to fight the urge to "rescue" the fawn, according to the nation's wildlife authorities. Maryland's Department of Natural Resources explains, "Whitetail deer mate in the fall, between October and December. In May and June, the female deer, or doe, gives birth to one or two fawns and initially nurses them. She then leads them into secluded habitat within her familiar home range.

Twin fawns can be separated by up to 200 feet, and the mother leaves them alone for extended periods of time, returning periodically to nurse them and to relocate them to new secluded habitat."

To the uneducated outdoorsmen it might seem that leaving an unguarded and defenseless fawn alone is a recipe for disaster. But, according to officials in the state, "Newborn fawns have almost no body odor and their reddish-brown coats with white spots make them almost invisible to predators. They will lie motionless on the ground surrounded by low vegetation. The fawn's natural instinct is to freeze, even when approached by another animal. As they grow and mature, they will initially freeze but then jump up and bound away."

"These well-intentioned people don't understand that the newborns are temporarily and naturally away from their parents," warn Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists. "Unfortunately, the majority of people who 'rescue' young wildlife are unable to provide an appropriate diet and environment for the animal. As a result, the animal can suffer malnourishment and often death."

Deer fawns aren't the only species of concern. When a landowner in Oregon discovered what he thought was an orphaned gray squirrel a few years ago, he fed it cow's milk, and after the animal didn't respond well, finally contacted authorities. Within an hour of state biologists taking possession of the squirrel it died of malnutrition and hypothermia.

"People should never bring a fawn or other young animal home or to work with the idea of showing it around before releasing it again," Lucy Wold, Wyoming Game and Fish information specialist, says. "There is a parental bond between the mother and young. The minute you remove that young animal you may break the parental bond and dramatically reduce their chance of survival."

"Human handling also affects the fawn's scent," she explained. "Nature renders fawns nearly scentless for protection from predators. Handling by a human leaves a scent on the fawn and may make them more easily found by predators. Humans are urged to not even walk up to fawns, because coyotes have been documented to follow human scent trails."

Oregon officials add, "Even if a young animal does survive human care, it has been denied the chance to learn important skills from its mother such as finding food and escaping from predators, so it often does not survive long after being reintroduced to the wild."

A study conducted in Missouri determined that 71 percent of rehabilitated fawns died after being released into the wild. Several years ago Oregon verified those results, when it determined none of the 12 rescued fawns it released survived.

Iowa summarizes it best: "That wildlife baby belongs in the wild, not a cardboard box."

What should you do if you encounter a fawn in the wild? According to Maryland, "First of all, never try to catch it. If the fawn is lying down, enjoy the moment and then quietly walk away. Do not describe the location to others. If the fawn attempts to follow you, gently push on its shoulders until it lies down and then slowly walk away. The doe would do the same thing when she wants the fawn to stay put."