04/17/2026
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ง
Hello Friends of the Fawns! With the weather the way itโs been, we hate to talk about finding fawns already, but the truth is, it can be any day now! The earliest fawns are sometimes found in April. By the first week in May, the number increases dramatically, with the bulk of the fawns coming in mid-May to mid-June (of course, this varies with geographic location).
That said, itโs time to talk about what to ๐ซ๐ (and what ๐๐๐ to do) if you find a fawn.
This post is a bit long, but the information is extremely important!
Fฬฒiฬฒrฬฒsฬฒtฬฒ, itโs normal for a doe to leave her baby and go to feed, rest, etc. So, if you find a fawn, all curled up and lying motionless, ๐ซ๐๐โ๐ assume it needs your help. Keep your distance and quickly evaluate the fawnโs condition. Fawns will naturally freeze when a predator approaches (Yes, you are a predator to them!). They will lay there motionless even while you drive a lawnmower right past them! So, that does not mean they need help โ itโs just a normal response to danger.
๐ซ๐ keep adults, children, and pets away from the fawn, as they only cause stress, and stress can lead to shock and other ailments that can kill a young fawn!
Sฬฒeฬฒcฬฒoฬฒnฬฒdฬฒ, if you donโt see blood or an obvious wound, and they look healthy โ they probably are! Leave the fawn alone and leave the area. Give mom a chance to come back for her baby. ๐ซ๐ check back on the fawn in the evening โ just before dark, or early the next morning. The mother is likely out feeding, so she can generate the milk her baby needs. She will come back to feed her baby on a timetable based on the fawnโs growth and development (and her safety). It could be as much as eight hrs.
The last thing you want to do is kidnap a healthy fawn and deny them the love and nurturing only their mother can give them!
Tฬฒhฬฒiฬฒrฬฒdฬฒ, fawns are born very skinny; they look a bit like skin and bones. This does not mean they are starving, so please, ๐ซ๐๐โ๐ try to feed them. We lose lots of fawns each year because well-meaning people try to feed them, and they aspirate the milk because they arenโt fed correctly. Also, ๐ซ๐๐โ๐ assume because their ears are wrinkly, or folded, that they are dehydrated โ not necessarily true! Wrinkly/folded ears are normal in very young fawns!
Finally, if the fawn looks like itโs in trouble, i.e. sullen, lethargic, injured, bleeding, flies swarming it, etc., or if the mother has been killed, i.e. hit by a car, etc., then before you do anything else, ๐ซ๐ take pictures and call a Wildlife Rehabilitator. We are trained to assess the animal, to determine if it needs help or should be left alone.
๐๐จ๐ญ๐: It is illegal to take a fawn from its mother! Never pick up a fawn unless instructed to do so by a rehabber. Two exceptions to this rule include:
1) If the fawn has fallen into the water and is in danger of drowning, please remove it from the water and lay it on dry ground.
2) If the fawn is in another life-threatening situation, such as hanging from a fence, please remove it from the danger and then call a rehabber.
A list of Michigan rehabbers can be found at: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/dlr/
Of course, itโs a good idea to check the list now and have the number of your local rehabber handy, just in case.
๐๐จ๐ญ๐: If you are not in Michigan, look up your local Department of Natural Resources or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for help. Thank you!
