With spring in the air, the time has come for white-tailed deer to begin giving birth, and police in the D.C. metro area are issuing warning to residents to stay away from the fawns.
White-tailed deer deliver their fawns from April to July, with most births in June. Though dependent on their mothers’ milk for the first two to four weeks of their lives, fawns are routinely left by themselves while their mothers leave to find food.
Fawns can stand within one hour of birth, blend into their environments, and within one month can outrun most predators. So in spring, it’s possible to encounter fawns that are all alone, lying quietly in the woods or other area.
Good Samaritans sometimes conclude the mothers have abandoned the fawns and attempt a “rescue.” But experts advise against this.
“If you find a fawn alone, don’t assume it’s orphaned,” says Earl Hodnett, biologist for Fairfax County. “The mother will likely return later on, and fawns that have been raised by people rarely make a successful transition back to the wild.”
In most cases, the best advice to would-be rescuers of wildlife animals: Leave them be.
According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, more than 75 percent of such orphans “rescued” every spring should have been left alone. Most wild animals are dedicated parents and will not abandon their young, but they do leave themalone for long periods of time while looking for food.
If you come across an injured fawn, call the Wildlife Rescue League hot line at 703-440-0800 before making any attempts at rescue.
