OHIO – Its baby deer season and mommy deer will have their baby in the strangest of places, but moms rarely abandon their young but do leave them alone for awhile to protect them.
Finding a baby deer in the wild alone for hours is a natural thing moms do to keep predators away from baby fawns that are not nible enough to escape predators. Animals may not benefit from your help
- The adult may be out of sight gathering food.
- Removing young from their nests can disrupt the reproductive cycle of the animal.
- Wildlife carry diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to humans.
- Removing wildlife is prohibited without a proper permit.
So what should you do if you find a fawn in your back yard or close by?
- Wait and check on it periodically. In most cases, the mother will return after you leave the area. If the fawn is not injured, the mother is likely nearby.
- Human scent on the fawn will not discourage the mother’s care.
- Deer take better care of their young than humans.
If you feel an animal is abandoned contact local officials here: https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr-core/
