Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources reminds people to leave any deer fawns or elk calves seen during late May or early June alone. Do not touch, try to feed or take the baby animal home — doing so can have fatal consequences for the animal and could result in injury to you. DWR Big Game Coordinator Covy Jones states, “Newborn fawns are actually alone and isolated during their first weeks of life — and that’s on purpose. The mother knows that leaving the fawn alone is the best way to protect it from predators.” During the day, a doe deer will reunite with its fawn for a short time, to nurse it and care for it. Drought conditions are very hard on pregnant does and newborn fawns as it lowers the food supply and leads to low birth weights and decreased newborn fawn survival. So it is especially important this year to not disturb the wildlife.
