05/26/2026
FYI
LEAVE IT BE!
Is this baby wild animal abandoned?
Each spring and summer, we are flooded with calls as people across the state run into a common dilemma – they have come across a baby animal and desperately want to help. The best thing you can do to help, however, is to leave the animal alone. Many animals will hide their young for safety, and they will return. The majority of the time these wild animals do not need our help and it is best for wildlife to remain in the wild.
White-tailed deer fawns are typically born in May and June.
It is not uncommon for deer to leave their fawns unattended for up to eight hours at a time!
While fawns may seem abandoned, they rarely are. All wild white-tailed deer begin life this way.
For the first few weeks of a white-tailed deer fawn’s life, its mother will hide it in secluded locations. This behavior helps reduce the potential of predators finding the fawn.
A fawn’s spots are excellent camouflage and it has very little scent, which will help it stay hidden from predators.
The best chance for their survival is to leave them in the wild.
If you find a fawn alone, do not touch it, as this might leave your scent and could attract predators. Give it plenty of space and leave the area quickly.
The mother deer will return for her fawns when she feels it is safe, but she may not return if people or dogs are present.
