Deer - Renesting and Reuniting

Background Information

Deer mothers leave their young alone while looking for food, and the fawns (baby deer) curl up in one place until she returns, which can be up to 12 hours later. If finding a fawn alone is the only cause for concern, simply leave the area and let the mother return on her own. No monitoring or follow-up is required.

Fawns are very sensitive to the foods they eat and to the stress of being around people. Do not feed fawns anything. Unless a fawn has obvious injuries, is walking around crying or is found near a deceased doe (mother deer), do not touch or move a fawn. If you have already moved a healthy, uninjured fawn, please attempt to reunite the fawn with their mother and monitor the situation from a distance. Mother deer spend a lot of time and energy raising their young. Please note that, contrary to popular belief, a mother won’t abandon her babies because you touched them. However, she may not return if you are too close to her baby since humans are seen as threats.

If you found a fawn near a roadway, this does not necessarily mean they are orphaned. It could be that the mom or baby simply chose a less-than-ideal spot for the fawn to wait for the mother to return. When mom returns to feed the baby, they will likely move to a better location.

Health Check

Reunite healthy fawns only. Mom won’t return for a sick baby or be able to help them recover. Check for the following:

Check for the following:

• Significant injury (the animal has broken bones, deep cuts, or is non-responsive, gasping, limp, laying on their side, etc.)
• Seen attacked by a dog (or other animal)
• Grass is yellow/dead beneath where they are laying
• They have diarrhea or poop stuck to their backside
• Ant, fly or maggot infestation on the fawn
• Hypothermia (cold to the touch

A wildlife rehabilitator should be contacted for further guidance (Box 1) if a baby with these symptoms is found.

Timeline

Reunite deer at any time of day, especially at dusk and dawn when deer are most active. You can leave fawns outside overnight during attempted reunification. If you picked up and kept the deer for 24 hours or more already, we recommend reaching out to a wildlife rehabilitator (Box 1).

Renesting and Monitoring Process

1. Return or leave the fawn at the location where they were found and leave the area. If possible, set up a video camera, computer or similar device to monitor the situation remotely. The mother may be too scared to approach if people are nearby.
2. Recheck the fawn or review footage after 24 hours. If the baby is gone, they were successfully reunited with their mother. If the baby is still there and/or no mother was seen on the video tape, they are confirmed orphans.

If the baby is not reunited with their mother within 24 hours or their condition is worsening, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for further guidance (Box 1). Do not feed, move or transport the fawn without guidance from a wildlife rehabilitator.