With summer just a few more days away, officials at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources say there will be an increase in seemingly abandoned fawns across Michigan.
DNR Wildlife Outreach Coordinator Rachel Lincoln says while the instinct for many people is to try and help, deer hide their fawns in various spots to keep them safe.
“Usually in grassy areas, anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a day, they’ll be left in these spots on the ground,” Lincoln said. “That’s because fawns do not have a sense of smell, and their spots allow them to camouflage into a lot of places. And so if they’re laying low in a single spot, predators aren’t going to come across them or be attracted to them. It’s the best defense mechanism fawns have.”
If you suspect the parent of a fawn is dead or injured, Lincoln says to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before removing an animal from the wild. However, don’t just assume a fawn left alone has been abandoned. Lincoln says its mother will likely come back.
