Leave Those Fawns Alone

Whitetail deer are starting to have babies, and local Game Warden Shaun Bayless wants to remind everyone to leave the little fawns alone.

“It’s that time of year again, whitetail deer are beginning to have fawns,” Bayless said. “Please do not pick them up or move them even if they appear abandoned or alone.”

Bayless said he’s gotten calls from concerned citizens who’ve seen fawns that appear to be abandoned. One person even picked one up and brought it inside. Despite the good intentions, Bayless said, such actions cause more harm than good.

“It is quite common for the does to leave fawns for hours on end during the day until the fawn is strong enough to follow the doe around,” Bayless said. “It is more detrimental to the fawn when you pick it up or remove it from the area where it was found.

“Again it is completely normal and instinctive for the fawn to lay still and not move from extended periods of time,” he added. “Please do not touch them.”