District Wildlife Manager
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
It’s that special time of year again when we start to see the beauty of young wildlife, especially deer fawns, gracing our natural landscapes.
Who isn’t touched by the miracle of birth? And the sight of a newborn fawn on wobbly legs is especially touching. Seeing baby wildlife is one of the perks of my job.
Everyone should take advantage of the unique access we enjoy here in Colorado and view all our young wildlife.
But I have a big favor to ask. Please join me in the important task of protecting our local young wildlife so they can grow into healthy adults. It’s easier than you might think if you just remember these valuable rules: keep your distance, enjoy a quick glimpse and leave.
Most importantly, resist the urge to “rescue an orphan.” Here’s why.
The peak of fawning season for mule deer is mid-June, ranging from May to July.
As the 200-day gestational period ends and a pregnant doe prepares to give birth, she will move to a fawning area. These secluded spots can be in a meadow, a neighborhood park or your backyard – any place the doe feels safe.
Upon birth, an average fawn will weigh about 5-10 pounds, and it will stand within the first 12 hours after birth. However, they will be clumsy and unable to move very quickly. Because of this, fawns can be easy targets for predators like coyotes, bears and mountain lions.
However, deer have a few tricks to protect their fawns from predation.
During the early weeks of life, does will hide their fawns in safe places while they go off to forage. This can be alongside a log, in tall grass or underneath a deck.
You might be scratching your head wondering why a mother would feel safe leaving her newborn fawn alone for hours at a time. The reason for this is actually intuitive and smart.
Fawns are reddish brown in color with white spots – nature’s camouflage. These spots will fade after the first month of life, and by that time they will be much more mobile. Fawns will also have little to no scent at birth. The mother will be very careful when she returns to her young and will only do so if she feels.
This behavior is important to understand. Every year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff receive calls from citizens reporting that baby wildlife, specifically fawns, have been “abandoned” by their mothers. Many of these well-meaning citizens are tempted to “help” a young animal by picking it up or trying to feed it.
Instead of helping the fawn, this often leaves the fawn an orphan.
It is critical that people understand humans are poor substitutes for an animal’s natural parents.
In almost every case, picking up baby wildlife is the wrong thing to do. When we handle young wildlife, we transfer our scent to the animal. Our smell can cause its mother not to recognize her own baby. This can result in true abandonment of healthy offspring, especially deer.
If you find young wildlife, enjoy a quick glimpse, leave the animal where it is and keep pets out of the area. Quietly observe the animal from a distance using binoculars and don’t hover so close that the wild parents are afraid to return to the area.
In general, if 24 hours go by and the parent does not return, it is possible the newborn wildlife was abandoned or the parent, sadly, is dead.
In that case, please call your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office. Our trained wildlife experts will work with a certified wildlife rehabilitation center to get aid for the wildlife, if possible. Please do not handle them yourself.
Thank you for understanding the importance of not disturbing wildlife and for doing your part to keep them wild.
Written by Drew Vrbenec. Drew is a District Wildlife Manager (DWM) for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
