Don’t touch fawns
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation in Sitka reminds the public that deer fawns should not be handled, picked up, or otherwise disturbed. The first fawns of the season are being reported and sightings will increase over the next few weeks. Several consecutive mild winters have resulted in high deer survival in and around Sitka and Game Management Unit 4 in general. As a result, wildlife managers in the region expect a high number of fawns this season.
Although a fawn may appear to be abandoned or orphaned, the mother is likely close by and will return to the fawn. It is normal behavior for a doe to cache its young while it forages nearby. This behavior actually reduces the potential for a predator to detect the fawn. By handling fawns, well-meaning good Samaritans can actually cause the doe to abandon the fawn. Orphaned fawns have little chance of surviving in the wild on their own. It is also extremely difficult to place fawns in zoos since they are so abundant. As a result, most fawns picked up by individuals believing they are rescuing it have to be euthanized.
Pet owners are also reminded to keep their dogs under control, so they do not chase or otherwise disturb does and/or fawns.
