Discover when deer have babies, how to tell the age of a baby deer, and what to do if you believe the fawn has been abandoned.
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When Do White-Tailed Deer Have Babies?
White-tailed deer typically give birth to babies in late spring and early summer. Most first-year does have one fawn, but twins, and sometimes triplets, are often seen thereafter.
If you have deer in your neighborhood, you can often tell when a doe is ready to give birth, says Debbie Sykes, a certified wildlife rehabilitator and licensed veterinary technician in Nashville, Tennessee. “You’ll notice the females start to balloon up in the abdomen, and their bellies will almost drop right before they give birth.”
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Why Do Fawns Have Spots, and What Age Do They Lose Them?
Those distinctive white spots that run along a fawn’s reddish-brown back camouflage it from predators by helping it blend in with the sun-flecked ground. After about three months, the spots begin to fade, and are all but gone a month later.
How Can You Tell the Age of a Fawn?
Start with those spots, then consider its size and behavior. A newborn baby deer is just four to seven pounds, and can stand within a few hours of birth, says Debbie. “But they’re weak and wobbly.”
Over the next couple weeks, the fawn will double in size, and start to forage. “Once they can walk farther distances and aren’t putting themselves and their mom in danger, they’re following their mom,” Debbie says.
How Long Do Fawns Stay With Their Mothers?
Fawns typically remain with their mothers for about a year. At that point, bucks will typically disperse to find their own territories, and does will often stay closer to their birth area but remain independent of their mothers. “The females tend to be more social during that time, and break away during the spring when they’re having babies, then come back together,” Debbie says.
When Can a Fawn Survive on Its Own?
Fawns can technically survive on their own when they start weaning at three to four months, Debbie says. “That being said, they don’t have a great survival rate if they’re on their own at that age.”
When fawns stop weaning, they start to fine-tune their survival skills. They learn from their mothers how to forage, recognize predators, and understand the social structure of the deer herd.
What Do Fawns Eat, and How Do They Learn to Eat on Their Own?
Fawns nurse three to four times a day for up to four months, and begin foraging at about week two. “If they’re sitting there all day, they’ll start to explore forbs (herbaceous flowering plants), like clover and plantain, which are really good for them,” Debbie says.
White-tailed deer must develop their gut flora as fawns in order to eat a lot of greens, Debbie says. “They slowly develop the type of bacteria and protozoa they need to digest this food. Eventually, they can increase what they eat to the point of being able to nibble on things like tree leaves.”
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How Can You Tell If a Fawn Is Abandoned or Orphaned? What Are the Danger Signs?
After nursing her fawn, the mother will often move her baby to a different spot nearby, then leave to forage for hours at a time. But she’s usually not more than 100 yards away.
A fawn may be abandoned or orphaned if it has spent more than 10 hours in the same spot, is unresponsive or lethargic, or is covered in ticks, Debbie says. “If there’s five to 10 ticks, no problem. But if the eyes and ears are literally covered, that’s a bad sign.”
A fawn that’s bleating could have simply missed a feeding or two and is hungry. It could also be a sign something’s wrong, Debbie says. “That’s how they call for their mom. If you see that and you don’t see a mom within 10 or 15 minutes, that’s a concern.”
How Can You Assist a Fawn That Needs Help?
In many states, it’s illegal to interact with wild animals, including fawns, without proper permits or licenses. Debbie suggests taking a photo or video of the distressed fawn. “Send it to a wildlife rehabilitator in your area who can assess body conditions.”
To locate a rehabber in your area, Debbie recommends the Animal Help Now website or its free app Ahnow.org. Input your location to receive a listing of nearby wildlife rehabilitators. Contact one, and be patient. At their busiest time in spring, they have their hands full.
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From Birth to Independence: A Fawn’s Journey
- Late spring to early summer: Fawns (baby deer) are born
- Day 1: Within the day they can stand up. But they’re weak and wobbly, and unable to walk far.
- Week 1: Spent hiding in vegetation with the mother returning up to four times a day to nurse it and relocate it.
- Week 2: Doubles weight and begins light foraging
- Week 3: Begins to wean, increases foraging, and starts to follow and accompany its mother.
- Month 1: Can walk farther distances with its mother
- Month 3: Spots begin to fade
- Month 4: Spots are gone
- Six months: Throughout fall and winter, fawns remain with their mothers, gaining strength and independence.
- One year: These “yearlings” have the skills necessary to survive on their own, and are often driven away by the mother.
About the Expert
Debbie Sykes is a certified wildlife rehabilitator and licensed veterinary technician in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sources
- Squaw Mountain Ranch – “The Lifecycle of Whitetail Deer: From Fawn to Buck” https://www.squawmountainranch.com/2023/06/13/the-lifecycle-of-whitetail-deer-from-fawn-to-buck/
- Record Breaking Ranch – “How Long Do Whitetail Fawns Stay with Their Mother?“
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