||| FROM SHONA AITKEN for WOLF HOLLOW |||
In the past week Wolf Hollow has received several calls about newborn fawns, so we know spring fawn season has arrived. May is when most local Black-tailed Deer give birth to their fawns and people become concerned when they find a little fawn, all alone, with no mother in sight.
What should you do if you find a tiny, spotted fawn lying curled up in the long grass in your yard? The best thing to do is quietly move away and leave it in peace so Mom can return later. Please don’t get too close, touch the fawn or try to move it.
For the first couple of weeks a fawn’s legs are too weak and wobbly to follow Mom through the woods, so its job is to lie still and quiet, camouflaged by its spotted coat. Mom may leave her youngster for 6-8 hours before returning to feed it and perhaps move it to a different spot nearby.
If, however, you happen to find a fawn lying in the road, it’s time to take immediate action. This usually happens when a fawn is slowly following Mom across the hard surface and a car suddenly appears. Mom leaps off into the bushes and the fawn instinctively drops to the ground and freezes. If the fawn is unhurt, slide your hand under its belly, gently carry it a few feet off the side of the road and leave it in a safe, sheltered spot. Mom is probably nearby, waiting for you to leave so she can return for her baby.
For their first few weeks, fawns are not very quick on their feet, so they are vulnerable, not only to natural predators but also to our dogs, so this is an especially good time to keep your dog under control and not let it run through the woods.
If you are concerned that a fawn may be injured or separated from Mom, please give us a call. We’d be happy to help you work out what’s going on. Wolf Hollow 360-378-5000.
