What To Do If You See A Fawn In Morris County

MORRIS COUNTY — Bears and foxes have been seen around Morris County in the past few weeks, and soon you can add another animal to that list: fawns. The end of May and the beginning of June are when the first fawns will be born, and although they can be cute, there are some important things residents should keep in mind.

The Roxbury Township Police Department shared these tips from the Wildlife Crisis Organization for if you come across a fawn:

• The mom will not return to their fawns until well after dark.
• Keep yourself and pets far away from the fawn. It may take a good 24 hours for a doe to feel safe enough to return to her fawn. If a mother were to return to her fawn prematurely, she might risk leading a predator directly to her fawn.
• Do not touch the fawn! This could cause the mother to reject it. If the fawn has already been "handled", wipe the fawn off with a clean towel rubbed with dirt, put on a clean pair of gloves, and return the fawn to the site of origin.
• If the fawn has wandered into your garage or other precarious position, gently coax the fawn out or move to a quiet, nearby site while wearing gloves. Do not move the fawn too far.
• For the first 5 days after birth, fawns will not run when approached. Instead, they will exhibit "freeze behavior". They lie still when approached, even permitting handling with little resistance. From the 7th day on, fawns will exhibit "flight behavior" when approached. By one month of age fawns venture out to browse with their mothers.

If the fawn looks too weak to walk, it might not be injured, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife says.

"Adult deer spend much of the day feeding and loafing. Fawns that are not strong enough on their legs to keep up with the adults are left behind. Usually young fawns are quite safe because their color pattern and lack of scent help them to remain undetected until their mother's return," DFW says.

Only if the fawn is truly injured, or are found next to their dead mother, should you contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

Read More:

• Black Bears Are Back: Here's What You Need To Know
• Foxes Spotted Around Morris, Officials Say

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