With the spring fawning season just around the corner, here are a few things you probably didn’t know about the fawns of whitetail deer.
By Bernie Barringer
My young boys and I were walking across a grassy field on our way down to the riverbank for some fishing when suddenly my son stopped in his tracks. It took him a moment to fully realize what he was seeing, but when he did, he realized we were all standing above a week-old fawn. His first reaction, like that of many people, was that the fawn must be hurt or abandoned, otherwise it would have run off.
The fawn’s mother was not far off, in fact she soon appeared and tried to lure us out of the area. We did not bother the fawn, just enjoyed the moment and then went fishing. Many people have been told that by touching a fawn, your scent will cause the doe to abandon it. This is silly of course, but it’s one of the enduring myths about whitetails. It is often perpetuated by people who want you to leave the fawns alone, and they pass on this myth in their zeal.
If you find a fawn in a vulnerable place, such as a hayfield that is being cut, there is nothing wrong with picking it up and moving it to the edge of the woods. Put it in a shady spot and allow the mother to find it. If the fawn runs off, do not try to catch it, let it find another hiding spot on its own.
The maternal instinct is strong, and the doe will not abandon her fawn because of your scent. Most fawns are half of a pair of twins, so the other one is nearby. The doe may be off feeding, but she won’t be too far.
Most fawns are born during the month of May over most of North America. The southern half of the US and Mexico may see fawn births much later. In northern climates, a fawn born too early may succumb to the frigid nights or a late snowstorm, and one born to late may not be mature enough to make it through the following winter.
The breeding season in Texas and Florida are in December and January and are much more drawn out that the short rut found in Canada. Short breeding periods allow the fawns to drop at the best time for survival potential. A fawn born in July in Florida doesn’t have to worry about making it through harsh winter weather which will face a Minnesota fawn beginning in November.
Here’s another myth, there is a belief that fawns do not have any smell so predators can’t find them. Coyotes kill up to 80% of the fawn crop in some areas, and they find the fawns by their scent. Bobcats, wolves, bears and foxes all find young venison to be delicious, and all take their toll on the fawn crop in varying degrees. Coyotes primarily find the fawns by cruising downwind of a likely area with their noses in the air.
The other predators mentioned may occasionally find a fawn by actively smelling for them, but more often have two main tactics for eating fawns. Bobcats, foxes and bears generally find fawns by stumbling across the tasty windfall. Wolves on the other hand, often follow the does around the known fawning areas, waiting until the fawns drop, then quickly gobble them up. There are plenty of cases where wolves and coyotes have been observed actually pulling the partially born fawns out of the mothers. This is fairly common in elk and in moose calving.
The fawns are able to walk within hours after being born, and run within a few days. But they are programmed to lie still rather than run for about three weeks. By the time they are about two weeks old, they can outrun most predators. Fawns spend the majority of their time in hiding for the first month of their life. At about six weeks, the fawn begins to tag along with its mother everywhere she goes.
Fawns will start sampling the vegetation around them at about a month old. They soon discover which plants are good to eat and which are not. They probably learn which plants to eat by observing their mother, as well. But they do not begin to depend on food other than milk until they are about two months old. During the first weeks, their entire life revolves around hiding and nursing.
Fawns have about 300 spots, which offer surprisingly good camouflage, especially when lying in the mottled shade of tall plants. They will carry these spots as long as they wear their summer coats. The spots will not disappear until fall, when the heavy coat of hollow, gray winter fur replaces the reddish summer coat. This usually takes place over the first two weeks in September. The fawns are normally weaned during the month of September as well.
Fawns become sexually mature when they are about six months old. In most areas of North America, the majority of doe fawns are bred during their first November, although some of them may not come into estrus until the early part of December. Young-of-the-year does commonly produce one fawn their first year, then twins in each year after. The availability of quality food and water can alter the number of fawns each doe produces. In areas with plenty of quality food and environmental conditions, triplets are common.
As intriguing as it may be to pick up a young fawn–and no matter how much your boys beg you to raise it as a pet–resist the temptation to make the animal’s life any harder than it already is. The odds are stacked against it. Just enjoy the moment and move on.
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tks. I have a fawn born yesterday in my split rail fenced side yard that Mom jumps over. I wanted to keep the gate shut to help protect the fawn, but wanted to know when to open it so she could go out with her Mom, so this information was helpful.
We have a set of fawn twins who are a week old. They are “trapped” in our backyard. The mom simply jumps over the fence. The fawns cannot get out of the yard unless I open the gate. The yard has perfect cover for the fawns. The mom leaves them alone while she goes off to forage. She has a definite routine and comes back to nurse and care for them. The nap virtually all day and night in deep grass where we cannot see them. At what point should I open the gate so they can get out and have the freedom to go wherever they want. The area outside the fence in deep grass as well. I know they are safe in my yard but should I open the gate and if so when? Thank you in advance for your advice!
That’s pretty cool and an experience most people never have. It will be quite some time before the fawns can jump the fence. If it was me, I would wait until you see the fawns trying to get out, then open the gate and let them out.
How long are fawns left on 1 spot? We have a fawn left in one spot for over 12 hours and now its 10pm.
12 hours would be very unusual unless there are people nearby who are making the doe nervous about coming to it. Usually they must nurse about every 6 hours or less.
I noticed an older fawn (still spotted) that seemed panicked without mom. In fact, I believe she was in the very opposite direction that the panicked fawn ran. Will they find one another? Can the fawn survive otherwise? Will another group take it in?
They will almost certainly get back together within a short time, the fawn is still nursing.
I noticed a young buck staying around a doe and her spotted fawn He is a four point. Could he be the father of fawn or son to doe. Never have seen that old of male hanging out with female and fawn.
It’s not uncommon to see yearling does still with their mother even when she has a new fawn, but it would be rare for a yearling buck to be still hanging around because they normally disperse into a new home range when they are about a year old. Could be her’s from the previous year but that would be unusual.
I have two white tail baby deer, that were born on my 3 acre property. I saw one jump over the fence, because he was running away from a noise. He ended up in my neighbor’s fenced in yard. The other one was still in our yard and upset. I managed to get the other one to jump back over to our yard. Are they getting close to leaving? We have left them alone this whole time. They seem very healthy. Is mom still coming at night?
By this time of the year they are on their own.