At Valley Forge, white-tailed deer fawns are usually born between mid-May and July, and can sometimes be spotted hiding in tall grass or in woodland areas. It is important to leave these quiet and beautiful creatures alone!
Q: Has a baby deer sitting by itself been "abandoned" by its mother?
A: No! It's just doing what comes naturally!
Fawn Behavior
White-tailed deer fawns are camouflaged brown with white spots, and have almost no scent. These characteristics help fawns to conceal themselves from predators-hiding is their primary form of defense. Fawns find their own places to hide, usually in tall grass or in the forest.
In order to prevent drawing attention to their babies, adult female deer do not remain close. However, they do pay attention from a distance, and the mother deer will return to the fawn's location several times per day to nurse.
When approached by a human, the natural response of a fawn is to remain still and silent, lay its head down and try to hide. Even when physically touched, the fawn may not move.
Sometimes during periods of high visitation at the park, fawns will not be able to nurse as consistently because the adult female cannot approach safely.
If You See a Fawn
If a fawn doesn't move when you approach, it's trying to hide. Simply leaving the area will make the fawn more comfortable and allow an opportunity for the mother to approach.
Please DO NOT touch or otherwise disturb fawns.
Adult female deer in high density deer herds may be very careful in identifying their own fawns. If a human touches or otherwise handles a fawn, this alters its scent and may cause the adult female to abandon it, which will result in starvation and death.
Please do your part as a steward of Valley Forge and leave fawns alone!
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service