White Tail Deer
You found a white tail fawn? PLEASE! Leave it there!
White tail deer fawns are born in late May or early June. Since they are wobbly at first, the mother will leave them in what she considers a safe place, while she goes off to graze so she can feed them. This will often be out in the open in the sun, or even in a fenced in yard. She will be nearby watching and will return occasionally to check on the fawn and feed it. By sunset, she will usually retrieve the fawn and keep it with her until morning. She may even bring her baby back and leave it in the same place 2 or 3 days in a row, if she feels comfortable with the spot. A very young fawn will lie completely motionless and often blends in with the environment. Older fawns will lie still and watch until you get too close before they bolt. Unless a fawn is obviously injured, the best thing to do is leave it alone. If you have ANY doubts regarding the fawn's well-being, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice before attempting to capture it. A rehabber will ask questions to verify the fawn's condition and then will give you experienced advice on how to proceed. Don't be surprised though if the rehabber tells you the baby is fine and to let mother deer take care of him!
New arrival-only a few days old. At this early stage, the fawn will be fed only a special fawn formula from a bottle. Later, other foods will be added, as she grows.
The same fawn as above, but she now has plenty of company. The mother usually gives birth to twins. Single births are the exception, so a fawn in a rehabilitation setting benefits from having other fawns to bond with. Occasionally there will be three fawns born to a doe.  Playpens are a good enclosure for deer this size.
Outside for fresh air and exercise. Fawns like to explore and will eat plants and even dirt.
Feeding time. Deer eat a variety of things when they are older, including greens, fruit, vegetables, and deer pellets. And of course, milk. The young deer will stay on milk for several months, gradually being fully weaned in September. This is the same schedule as the mother doe would follow had the baby stayed with her.
Young deer in an outside enclosure. They will soon be ready to be transferred to the release site.
This young deer is just being transferred to an outdoor cage, where she will remain for the winter. She will have several other fawns for company. Also, she will be sharing the outdoor pen with a couple adult female deer who will teach her how to be a wild deer. By spring, she will be a fully wild deer and will be ready for release. In the wild, the mother deer usually keeps her young with her over winter and teaches them what they need to know to survive.
Deer photographed in the wild. This is the desired end result we are aiming for with each fawn we rehab.
This little buck was hit by a car and was unconscious when taken to a local vet clinic by a good Samaritan. He was transferred to our care, and once recovered, was released near where he was found. Here he poses for a photo just before strolling off to join his mother and sibling in the woods.
This female fawn was hit by a car and had serious injuries to her neck and face (note the scarring). She was weak and near death when she arrived at Wilderness Haven. She recovered fully, was wintered over, and released the following spring. She has been sighted several times in the wild near the forest where she was released. She is identifiable by her shortened tail, which was also injured when she was struck by the car.
Outdoor deer pen at Wilderness Haven. The shed is for shelter at night and during inclement weather.
Here a young deer relaxes in the shed.