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Way too cool

briansnat
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briansnat

+briansnat

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Venison dinner tonight!!!!

Seriously, what did you do?

 

Well it started following me down the trail, so I started walking faster and left it behind. On the way back it saw me and got up and started following me again. I yelled "stay" (yeah, like its a trained dog or something) and the last I saw it was curling up next to a rock.

 

As I understand it, leaving it is the best thing to do. The mother is probably out foraging for food, or watching from the distance.

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briansnat

+briansnat

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Oh, that's adorable!!! Just an interesting FYI--Fawns are born without a scent. The mother purposely leaves the fawn alone a lot during the first few weeks so as not to draw predators to it.

 

This one was so young it still had wobbly legs. Like it was just learning to walk.

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ke6n

+ke6n

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Great pictures! Hopefully the mother isn't to upset by her smelling of human!

Yep, cute photos and all that but nobody should ever let a fawn actually touch them and end up with human scent on them. Mom will often times abandon the fawn because of the smell. I'm fairly sure nobody would want to be the cause of a needless death of a fawn.

 

...Now later on when those little brown nubbies on the head develop into at least forks, that's a different story.

 

Ken

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Mudfrog

+Mudfrog

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Very cool pictures indeed! :rolleyes:

 

We were out caching on the outskirts of Houston a few years back and noticed a doe standing at the edge of the woods as we went in. Didn't think much about it so we made the cache find and was headed back towards the Jeep when Chicken lets out a squeal. I was leading the way and it turns out that i walked right past a fawn that had to be only a few hours old. We knew better to touch it or hang around but we couldn't help but snap a couple of pictures, cheapy digital camera, while there. Certainly made that cache most memorable!!!

 

I had posted this in the forums alongggggg time ago but in case you missed it then, here it is again.

 

cd01423d-7c15-4e64-bd64-d51935ecf4c3.jpg

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flask

+flask

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Posted

i have heard from credible sounding sources both that you shouldn't allow the little guy to acquire your scent AND (different source, obviously) that it doesn't matter one bit.

 

can somebody cite some good sources? from both sides, maybe? i'd like to know.

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briansnat

+briansnat

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i have heard from credible sounding sources both that you shouldn't allow the little guy to acquire your scent AND (different source, obviously) that it doesn't matter one bit.

 

can somebody cite some good sources? from both sides, maybe? i'd like to know.

 

I've heard both as well.

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jackrock

+jackrock

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Posted (edited)

I loved the photos. And really did want to go back and feed it or at least make sure the mother was around. Of course I know feeding it would not be a good idea. But Brian first assured me the mother would be nearby.

 

Leaving it was the right thing. The mothers leave them alone but they come back; that's normal behaviour. Many baby deer end up with rehabbers because of good samaritans. Someone finds a fawn by itself, picks it up to "save" it. It ends up with a rehabber. The reality was that the fawn was fine and its mom came back to find it gone because it was "saved".

Edited by jackrock
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jackrock

+jackrock

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Posted

i have heard from credible sounding sources both that you shouldn't allow the little guy to acquire your scent AND (different source, obviously) that it doesn't matter one bit.

 

can somebody cite some good sources? from both sides, maybe? i'd like to know.

 

I've heard both as well.

 

When newborn the mother and fawn need to bond. The smells are an important part of this. It's best to not handle it and get your smells on it because its mother recognizes it by smell. This is especially important with newborn during the first days. This one may have been past that point but it's also important that it not learn to go to people as this can lead to serious problems.

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KBI

+KBI

Posted
Posted
i have heard from credible sounding sources both that you shouldn't allow the little guy to acquire your scent AND (different source, obviously) that it doesn't matter one bit.

 

can somebody cite some good sources? from both sides, maybe? i'd like to know.

I've heard both as well.

Johnny: Hey Mom, I found a goat! Can we keep him in the house?

 

Mom: But what about the odor?

 

Johnny: Oh, I don't think he'll mind.

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CENT5

+CENT5

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Posted

Seems even the "experts" disagree.

 

What appears to be a rather significant study done here: Oklahoma Academy of Sciences

 

Quotes 2 studies in the conclusion section that appear to contradict each other a bit though the second result seems to indicate visiblilty was a factor..

 

"This study provided insight into the mechanisms controlling the white-tailed deer population of the Wichita Mountains. The 90% fawn mortality was due primarily to predation by coyotes, which resulted in low recruitment of fawns into the adult population. There was no evidence that disease substantially influenced the predator-prey relationship. Color marking, intensive handling, and close daily monitoring activities did not appear to increase mortality above that experienced by fawns not color marked and usually monitored from a distance.

 

McGinnes and Downing (7) stated that handling, marking with ear tags with 1.9 by 6.4-cm streamers attached, and ear tattooing appeared to have no adverse effect on fawn survival in Virginia. White et al. (8) indicated that capture and marking increased predator-related deaths of fawns by 6 to 18% at Welder Wildlife Refuge in southern Texas. Visibility of 3.8 by 15-cm ear streamers was the factor ascribed by White et al. (8) as causing this increased mortality of fawns; fawns with smaller markers (3.8 cm2 ) experienced less loss to predators. The ear streamers we used were only one half as long as the 3.8 by 15-cm streamers used by White et al. (8). We do not know the extent to which, if any, the presence of radio collars might have increased mortality.

 

Michigan DNR No real guidance as far as "Handling" or Not "Handling". Just "leave them alone."

 

Ontario Minestry of Natural Resources

 

"You may do more harm than good. For example, female deer spend much of the day away from the fawns during the weeks after the fawn is born. This minimizes the chances of predators finding the fawn by following the female deer's scent trail. If you approach a fawn, you may cause it to run and leave a scent trail, making it easier for predators to find the fawn."

South Carolina DNR

 

"Human handling and disturbance of fawns can cause a doe to shy away or even desert her offspring. Also, a bleating response by the fawn can summon nearby predators."

 

TexasParks and Wildlife

 

"Abandoned deer fawns: In Texas, it is very common for people to encounter seemingly orphaned or abandoned deer. Mother deer typically leave their fawns bedded down while they are away foraging. If the fawn is not crying, is not covered with fire ants, the eyes are not swollen and there are no visible wounds, do not handle or disturb it. Your presence will only cause unnecessary stress for the fawn."

 

West Virginia DNR

 

"Forget the popular myth that human scent will prevent a parent from taking back its young. Return these animals, as soon as possible, to the place where they were picked up or better yet leave them where they are----their chances of survival may depend on it."

 

Wyoming Game and Fish

 

""Human handling also affects the fawn’s scent. Nature renders fawns nearly scentless for protection from predators. Handling by a human leaves a scent on the fawn and may make them more easily found by predators. Humans are urged to not even walk up to fawns, because coyotes have been documented to follow human scent trails."

 

North Dakota

 

"If a fawn has been handled, Jensen said, have it put back into the wild. "A misconception is that once a fawn has been touched the doe will not take it back,"

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vtmtnman

vtmtnman

Posted
Posted

Seems even the "experts" disagree.

 

What appears to be a rather significant study done here: Oklahoma Academy of Sciences

 

Quotes 2 studies in the conclusion section that appear to contradict each other a bit though the second result seems to indicate visiblilty was a factor..

 

"This study provided insight into the mechanisms controlling the white-tailed deer population of the Wichita Mountains. The 90% fawn mortality was due primarily to predation by coyotes, which resulted in low recruitment of fawns into the adult population. There was no evidence that disease substantially influenced the predator-prey relationship. Color marking, intensive handling, and close daily monitoring activities did not appear to increase mortality above that experienced by fawns not color marked and usually monitored from a distance.

 

McGinnes and Downing (7) stated that handling, marking with ear tags with 1.9 by 6.4-cm streamers attached, and ear tattooing appeared to have no adverse effect on fawn survival in Virginia. White et al. (8) indicated that capture and marking increased predator-related deaths of fawns by 6 to 18% at Welder Wildlife Refuge in southern Texas. Visibility of 3.8 by 15-cm ear streamers was the factor ascribed by White et al. (8) as causing this increased mortality of fawns; fawns with smaller markers (3.8 cm2 ) experienced less loss to predators. The ear streamers we used were only one half as long as the 3.8 by 15-cm streamers used by White et al. (8). We do not know the extent to which, if any, the presence of radio collars might have increased mortality.

 

Michigan DNR No real guidance as far as "Handling" or Not "Handling". Just "leave them alone."

 

Ontario Minestry of Natural Resources

 

"You may do more harm than good. For example, female deer spend much of the day away from the fawns during the weeks after the fawn is born. This minimizes the chances of predators finding the fawn by following the female deer's scent trail. If you approach a fawn, you may cause it to run and leave a scent trail, making it easier for predators to find the fawn."

South Carolina DNR

 

"Human handling and disturbance of fawns can cause a doe to shy away or even desert her offspring. Also, a bleating response by the fawn can summon nearby predators."

 

TexasParks and Wildlife

 

"Abandoned deer fawns: In Texas, it is very common for people to encounter seemingly orphaned or abandoned deer. Mother deer typically leave their fawns bedded down while they are away foraging. If the fawn is not crying, is not covered with fire ants, the eyes are not swollen and there are no visible wounds, do not handle or disturb it. Your presence will only cause unnecessary stress for the fawn."

 

West Virginia DNR

 

"Forget the popular myth that human scent will prevent a parent from taking back its young. Return these animals, as soon as possible, to the place where they were picked up or better yet leave them where they are----their chances of survival may depend on it."

 

Wyoming Game and Fish

 

""Human handling also affects the fawn’s scent. Nature renders fawns nearly scentless for protection from predators. Handling by a human leaves a scent on the fawn and may make them more easily found by predators. Humans are urged to not even walk up to fawns, because coyotes have been documented to follow human scent trails."

 

North Dakota

 

"If a fawn has been handled, Jensen said, have it put back into the wild. "A misconception is that once a fawn has been touched the doe will not take it back,"

I'd say it's better just to stay away from it.

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Isonzo Karst

+Isonzo Karst

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Posted

I called Judy, who has run the local wildlife rehab for 30 years. She tells me that every year they get an "abandoned" fawn or two. They interview the folks that bring them in, give them IV fluids if necessary, and take them back to where they were originally picked up. They retreat and watch. Momma generally shows up in under 20 minutes. This after extensive handling and hours having gone by since the original "rescue".

 

Her opinion is that abandonment of young is quite rare - and happens in relation to reproductive efficiency. That is, rabbits with multiple offspring per year abandon young much more readily than deer with only one.

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