Watch fawns feeding in western Maine

Fawns are getting big enough now that they wander off a little and graze on their own. Mom probably isn’t far away, but the babies in this video by BDN Contributor Allie Ladd are no longer wobbly legged and as vulnerable as they were a short time ago.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recommends that if you find a fawn or fawns alone in the wild, leave it there. Mothers wander off to eat and at this point, the babies can pretty much keep up with her.

Interfering with that natural process can be fatal for the baby deer.

DIF&W cites a study that shows fawns raised in captivity have an 85 percent chance of dying within the first three months.

Deer have huge summer ranges, averaging 500-600 acres. Deer aren’t usually territorial, but pregnant does have been known to defend a small birthing area against other deer for about a month, according to the DIF&W.

“In a typical year, each 100 Maine does will give birth to about 130 fawns. Early fawn losses tend to be high; only 60 to 80 of these young deer typically survive their first five months of life,” the department says.