Mastodawn

NaNaNaNa May 11, 2023

Dave Dawkins (D. Harrigon)

Deer deliver in the strangest of places! If you find a fawn in your yard, leave it alone, do not touch, move or feed it. They have no scent and predators cannot find them unless humans interfere. Mom leaves during the day for 2 primary reasons: to feed, and to keep her scent away. Mom will return, but not until dusk and not if humans are around. If you discover the gift of a fawn enjoy the experience, and let the Mom do what comes naturally. Please share, thank you. #wildlife

Mountain Cat May 11, 2023

@golgaloth this happened to me last year! Unfortunately, mama deer was spooked and left her fawn in my yard near the road! I managed to get the fawn to lay down amongst some rocks without touching it. Then I kept an eye on the baby all day.

Mama came by three times at dusk looking for her baby, but the baby was so tired it didn’t respond. Luckily the fawn was gone the next morning. I hope the mama deer came by a fourth time and left with her fawn.

Ryan The Red 🖥️🚲🍺🏳️‍🌈May 11, 2023

@golgaloth Thank you for the PSA, and much more useful reaction than my initial thought that "that fawn looks like it wants to be BBQ'd."

mybarkingdogs May 11, 2023

@golgaloth aww how cute (for some reason the head/face reminds me of a Chihuahua)

Dave Dawkins (D. Harrigon)May 11, 2023

@mybarkingdogs I can see that, now you mention it.

ニルス・スキニール May 11, 2023

@golgaloth Stay away and give it 24 hours. Oh yeah, keep your dogs and cats away too.

Morgan Peyre May 11, 2023

@golgaloth Now that's an unexpected front porch delivery 😁

Full Metal Accountant May 11, 2023

@golgaloth
The same advice holds for baby rabbits. Mothers will often build their nest in the middle of the yard, just a small depression lines with furr and some loose grass on top. Mother will come by at dawn and dusk to feed, but that only takes a few minutes so many think babies have been abandoned.

padeluun ⁂May 11, 2023

@golgaloth Übersetzung: „Rehe kommen an den seltsamsten Orten zur Welt! Wenn Sie ein Rehkitz in Ihrem Garten finden, lassen Sie es in Ruhe, berühren, bewegen oder füttern Sie es nicht. Sie haben keinen Geruchssinn, und Raubtiere können sie nur finden, wenn der Mensch eingreift. Die Mutter verlässt den Garten tagsüber vor allem aus zwei Gründen: um zu füttern und um ihren Geruch zu verbergen. Die Mutter kehrt zurück, aber erst in der Abenddämmerung und nicht, wenn Menschen in der Nähe sind. Wenn Sie ein Rehkitz entdecken, genießen Sie das Erlebnis und lassen Sie die Mutter tun, was sie von Natur aus tut. Bitte teilen, danke.“ #Wildtiere

Dave Dawkins (D. Harrigon)May 11, 2023

@padeluun Vielen Dank für die Übersetzung

levampyre May 11, 2023

@padeluun Ich würde nicht mit "Geruchsinn", sondern mit "Eigengeruch" übersetzen und nicht mit "um zu füttern", sondern mit "um Futter zu suchen". @golgaloth

@golgaloth so what if the fawn actually seeks contact to humans?

Pretty shure they are naturally shy and not supposed to come this close...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_sLF3OBtc8

Hunting fail- deer licks the barrel of the gun

YouTube

Stephen Anfield May 11, 2023

The "just like me" in the alt text. Same. 😂

Waterluvian May 11, 2023

@golgaloth While the “scentless” thing is a falsehood, it’s all still generally great advice. Unless the fawn is in obvious danger, leave it alone.

Eva Chanda May 11, 2023

@waterluvian @golgaloth
TBF they have far less scent than the adults, but enough that the mum can identify her baby.
https://www.aiwc.ca/blog/scent-and-security/

The Deer Whisperer 🦌⚓May 12, 2023

@waterluvian @golgaloth fawns have very little scent, compared to their mothers.

Mar :🌻May 11, 2023

@golgaloth What a beautiful baby.

Catmama 🐈May 11, 2023

That is a strange place for a deer to leave her baby, right in the open, no camouflage.

Char May 11, 2023

@golgaloth I’ll pass this on to my dogs

Dee Kat May 11, 2023

@golgaloth One was born in our back yard, wandered out of the ferns, gave me a sniff and wobbled back in. I did not touch him and went back into the house. It was a thrill to watch him grow.

miriam heddy May 11, 2023

@golgaloth @chemoelectric For a few seconds, I thought you meant the MAIL.

𖤐 🜏 Juniper 🜏 𖤐 May 11, 2023

@golgaloth

yes yes, good deervice.

do not touch me!!!

Richard Rathe May 11, 2023

I was walking in our neighborhood when a doe crossed the road in front of me… but her fawn decided to drop instead! #NaturePhotography #Deer #Fawn

Iwillyeah May 11, 2023

@golgaloth when I was a new mom I did a lot of panic reading and rage reading, much of which revolved around finding out WHY THE FUCK I CAN'T PUT THE BABY DOWN OR EVEN SIT DOWN WHILE I'M HOLDING IT. Anyway, long story short, dogs are nest mammals, horses are follow mammals, deer are cache mammals and we, we are carry mammals. So yeah. Isn't nature amazing.

DarryB May 11, 2023

@golgaloth This isn't quite accurate, and a bit of an old myth. Fawns do have a smell. It's less than an adult deer but they definitely do. A dog could find a fawn no problem if the wind is right. The mother will spend a while licking the afterbirth, and all that lovely stuff off the baby so there will be some smell transfer as well. The idea is that the mother, being much more pungent would lure the predators towards her and away from the fawn. At least that's the common belief.

kalizoid313 May 11, 2023

@golgaloth 🧙 🦌 Yes. In addition, do not feed older fawns any bread...

John Breen May 12, 2023

@golgaloth As a person who lives in the woods, I like that certain wild animals find my yard a safe place. I know better than to try touching them.

CurrentBias May 12, 2023

@golgaloth white-tailed deer can also carry #sarscov2 and transmit it to humans -- they are one of the few animals for which this is confirmed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_that_can_get_SARS-CoV-2

List of animals that can get SARS-CoV-2 - Wikipedia

The Deer Whisperer 🦌⚓May 12, 2023

@golgaloth Good advice!

More info here:
https://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/finding-a-fawn-what-to-do/

Finding a Fawn: What To Do - The National Wildlife Federation Blog

Every springtime, the National Wildlife Federation gets numerous emails and phone calls from concerned people asking the following question: “I found an abandoned fawn! Where can I take it?” The answer … Read more

The National Wildlife Federation Blog

The Deer Whisperer 🦌⚓May 12, 2023

Joseph A di Paolantonio May 12, 2023

@DeerWhispers @golgaloth — @czds and I haven’t seen any new fawns as yet, but those from last year are still coming around

The Deer Whisperer 🦌⚓May 12, 2023

@jadp @golgaloth @czds These are from a couple years ago. Still early here too. Our herd has grown from 10 four years ago to 27 at last count. I imagine their birth rate will fall some as their territory is probably about maxed out to sustain them.

C Z Doval Santos May 12, 2023

@DeerWhispers @jadp @golgaloth We don’t see older/elder bucks at this time of the year. I am curios , where do they go ?

The Deer Whisperer 🦌⚓May 13, 2023

@czds @jadp @golgaloth

The bucks that are older than about 2 years get kicked out of the herd by either the does or the alpha buck. This helps diversify the gene pool. The bucks lead solitary, isolated lives for the most part away from the rest of the herd, that is until it's time for the rut. For Western Washington Blacktail deer, that usually happens in November.

C Z Doval Santos May 13, 2023

@DeerWhispers @jadp @golgaloth THANK YOU for your reply. Much appreciated.

Joseph A di Paolantonio May 13, 2023

@DeerWhispers @czds @golgaloth we have had five older bucks hanging around our backyard most of the winter. They all disappeared last week.

Catsnfats 🇺🇦May 12, 2023

@DeerWhispers @golgaloth they’re here! Was just going to at you about them. They are so cute! ❤️

lea May 12, 2023

@golgaloth mmmm free dinner 😋🍴

Cake May 12, 2023

@lea @golgaloth NOOO LEA

CodieneC May 13, 2023

@golgaloth We had to cut a fawn loose from some old fencing the other day - with only a quick touch to remove the wire from a front leg w/out further injury. Checked a few hours later & momma must have stopped by for it :)