OHIO – It’s 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 a while 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 nimble 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/
