Whitetail fawns
are usually born in late April through early June.
The Whitetail fawn generally weighs between 4
and 8 pounds at birth. Like most newborns the
first 48 hours of life are crucial to survival.
If the doe is not well nourished and healthy the
fawn's chances of survival are greatly reduced.
Fawns that survive the first week of life stand
a good chance of joining the deer population.In
the first few weeks of a fawn's life a doe will
determine the general area that the fawn will
stay.
The fawns have a
reddish-tan to reddish-brown coat at birth and
are covered with white spots. These spots provide
camouflage that helps the fawn blend in with it's
surroundings. The spots will usually fade away
in the fall when they grow their first winter
coat.
Like some adult deer, a fawn will remain motionless
when danger is near. Fawns and adult deer often
go unnoticed by predators and hunters by remaining
still.
Fawns are
completely odorless for the first few days of
life. The doe stays away from the fawn only returning
for nursing. This prevents the deer's scent from
being detected by predators and giving away the
location of a fawn. If you encounter a fawn in
the wild, please do not handle it. The doe is
surely nearby. Often a doe will abandon a fawn
if human odor is present on the fawn.
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