In our neck of the woods... summer youngsters

This white-tailed deer fawn wandered into the fenced-in area of our yard with its mother, then it bedded down to wait for its mother to go in search of food.

White-tailed deer fawns have spots to help camouflage them while they are bedded down like this. Unfortunately, people often find them alone and assume they've been abandoned by the mother. Then the people try to "rescue" the fawn, which can result in the fawn's death.

During the first few months of a fawn's life, it spends most of its time away from the mother (the doe). This is for a good reason. Fawns can walk and run soon after birth, but they are not fast enough to escape predators that are attracted to the mother (the mother is larger and more active, therefore is more visible to predators). Fawns are much safer bedded down on their own than they are when they try to follow the mother around. They lie very still and only get up and run if a predator comes extremely close. When the fawn senses danger, it will often lay its head low, flatten its ears, and stop breathing, all to reduce its visibility.

Remember, the fawn is safer on its own, so the mother visits the fawn only a few times per day, and very briefly. During these visits, the mother allows the fawn to nurse and moves the fawn to a new location. If humans, pets, or predators are around, the mother stays away from the fawn until the danger passes.

Does often have twins, or even triplets. When this happens, the doe separates the young. This way, if a predator finds one fawn, it probably won't find the other(s).

If a predator flushes a fawn, forcing it to flee, the mother can still find it because the fawn will make bleating sounds once it's safe and is ready to find its mother.

So, if you find a fawn bedded down like this, don't assume it is abandoned. The best thing to do is leave it alone.

Photo Credit:
White-tailed deer fawn - Stan C. Smith