It's not unusual to find a deer fawn or an elk calf in the woods — or even
in town — this time of the year.
 If you find a deer fawn or an elk calf, the best thing to do is keep your
distance and leave the animal right where you found it.
"We receive calls every year from people who found an 'abandoned' baby bird
or mammal and would like us to take care of it," says Ron Stewart, regional
conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
"While we appreciate and share the caller's concern, the best thing to do
with a baby deer or elk is to leave it right where you found it."
Avoiding predators
Stewart says deer and elk use several techniques to help their young avoid
predators.
"Often these strategies make it look like the adults have abandoned their
young, when actually they're doing their best to protect their young,"
Stewart says.
"For example, deer fawns learn to walk soon after they're born, but they
aren't very coordinated and they aren't strong enough to run away from
predators. So, evolution has added a few safety measures.
"Most of the animals that prey on fawns have a good sense of smell, but
they can see only in black and white," he says. "Deer fawns are born
scentless; they don't have an odor, and predators can't smell them. Also,
if you looked at a deer fawn in black and white, their creamy brown coats
would be the same shade of color as the new grass and leaves. Add a few
spots to their coats and they're well camouflaged."
Because a fawn doesn't have a scent and it's camouflaged so well, hiding
the fawn for its first few weeks of life is the best way to protect it from
predators. "The fawn's mother will usually move away from the fawn to feed
and rest, but she will still remain reasonably close by," Stewart says. "If
she senses danger, such as a human, she will leave the area in hopes of
luring the 'predator' away from her fawn."
Stewart says people, who can see a full range of color, often see a fawn in
its hiding place. "Since the doe has left the area, many people think the
fawn has been abandoned, and they pick it up," he says. "That's the worst
thing you can do; without knowing it, you've just taken a fawn away from
its mother."
So what should you do if you see a deer fawn or an elk calf in town or in
the woods? "First of all, don't approach it," Stewart says. "Watch it or
take a photo of it from a distance, but don't approach it. If you get too
close, the scent you leave could draw a predator to the animal.
"Numerous studies have also shown that predators will follow human tracks.
I've watched coyotes and other predators cross a path that someone just
walked and immediately turn and follow their path. I don't know if the
predators are curious or if they've learned that humans can lead them to
food, but if you've just gotten close to a fawn, you'll lead the predator
right to it.
"If you see a fawn or a calf, it's best to stop quite a distance from it.
Then continue past the animal in a loop so the predator follows you around
and away from the fawn or calf."
Finding and petting baby animals is another problem. "The animal's survival
depends on it staying scentless," Stewart says. "If you touch the animal,
you've placed your scent on it. That will make it easier for a predator to
find it."
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