Wildlife: Deer
Are you experiencing an issue with wildlife in your area? If you have an urgent concern, please get in touch with us right away. If you are looking for more information, please click on one of the questions below to expand the content and find your answer. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at DFW Wildlife Coalition.
Please contact and consult with the DFW Wildlife Hotline or a deer wildlife rehabilitator specializing with fawns. Often, the caring public unintentionally kidnap fawns.
A doe does not stay with her fawn the first 4 weeks. The doe will be in the general area. The reason the doe leaves her baby is because the baby is scent-free and the mother does not want to draw a predator with her scent.
Please do not handle a fawn as you will leave your scent which could compromise its safety. If the fawn is quietly sleeping, generally it is okay and should just be monitored from a distance. Remember the fawn is better raised by its mother.
A rescue is needed if one of the following symptoms/conditions is present:
- Fire ants, flies, or maggots
- Mother is known to be dead
- Injury, blood or damaged tissue, fracture
- Vocalizing and wandering for long periods
- Lying on its side
- Predator is stalking the fawn
- Fawn is cold, limp, or lethargic
If a rescue is warranted please review our Quick Tips for guidance. Never transport a fawn in the bed of a pickup truck as the stress and heat often causes the fawn to die within a few days of rescue. Never feed as their digestive system is very delicate. The wildlife rehabilitator will hydrate and feed.