Photo by Steven Borgfeld, submitted to Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
Handling wildlife is usually unnecessary and always illegal
Maryland 2025 - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources cautions anyone who encounters a fawn that is alone to avoid disturbing it and resist the urge to feed or handle it. Removing deer from the wild and keeping them in captivity is against the law in Maryland in order to protect animal welfare and ensure public safety.
“Too often, well-intentioned people remove fawns from the wild believing they are helping an orphaned animal,” said DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Karina Stonesifer. “Although these individuals are trying to help, captivity can cause fawns to become stressed, injured, and/or malnourished. Additionally, captive wildlife can pose human health risks and become dangerous as they mature. Please leave fawns alone so that they stay safe and wild.”
A fawn alone in the wild may appear helpless but almost always they are perfectly safe. Deer are born with specialized physical and behavioral adaptations, which have helped their species survive for ages. Born in late spring, fawns instinctively lie motionless when approached by potential predators, relying on their adaptations to help them hide. Their virtual lack of odor, natural camouflage (reddish-brown and spotted coat), and freezing behavior help them avoid danger. These adaptations serve them well, as evidenced by the abundance of deer across Maryland’s varied landscapes.
Despite this effective strategy, inquisitive fawns will sometimes explore new surroundings and may appear to be lost or orphaned. There is usually no need for human intervention since in most cases, the doe is nearby foraging and will return to nurse the fawn when it is safe.
If an animal does appear sick or injured, the best approach is to contact police or wildlife officials. More information on fawns and how to handle an encounter with them can be found on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service website.
Anyone with questions about fawns, or other young wild animals, is encouraged to call the state’s wildlife hotline at 877-463-6497.
