When I was growing up it was often seen where well-meaning folks picked out baby fawns out of the woodlands because they thought the fawn was weak from lack of food, a result of the doe having been killed or having left her fawn. In truth the doe is never far away and is often nearby waiting for the people to leave. Little fawns are vulnerable for the first several days and so their best defense is their coat of white spots that blends in with the dirt and dry leaves, looking like a patch of sun spots filtering through the trees. It is the perfect camouflage. As long as they lie still they will go unnoticed since young fawns are almost completely scentless.
In the wild, a doe will return five or six times during the day to nurse her fawn, but hand-rearing a fawn in captivity is a full time job. It has to be fed several times a day, seven days a week for several months until it can feed and fend for it's self. Returning fawns to the wild hardly ever works because they have lost their fear of humans.
Our story is of owning a buck fawn who grew up on our wildlife farm in Florida, and at age two became very dangerous. Adult bucks can weight up to 140 pounds and grow big sharp horns. Deer can run up to 40 miles per hour for short bursts or 25 miles per hour for longer periods of time. So if charged by an adult deer your chances of getting away are slim.
We had raised this young buck as a pet. He would follow you anywhere and was very friendly. One day, my husband Frank, discovered this young buck had gotten into a exotic vine called the potato vine, due to the potato like tubers that it produces. The bucks antlers had become tangled in the vines and after fighting with the vine he was stuck. Frank decided he would have to go in the pen and cut the buck free. At first it had seemed like a good idea, until as the vines were cut away the buck began to take his anger out on Frank. Grabbing the antlers Frank managed to hold the buck at bay, but it was tiring to his arms as the buck pushed him around the pen and tried to rear up to hit Frank with his sharp hoofs. The buck was so enraged, that Frank, was fearing for his life. As they circled the pen Frank, steered the buck toward the gate, and when close to the gate, he let go of the horns and leaped toward it and through the gate slamming it shut. The buck bounced off the gate with such force Frank, thought he would knock it down. Breathing a sigh of relief Frank walked away unharmed. and the buck calmly walked away as if nothing had ever happened. Whether raised it captivity or in the wild, deer are wild animals and it must be remembered they can be dangerous even if raised as a pet.
This hunter found out the hard way how dangerous a buck can be.
I found some more information regarding the perils of adopting orphaned wildlfe youngters. According to the Game Commission and not only is it illegal, but picking up a new born animals means you have also picked up a major commitment, toward it's health and well-being.
As in baby fawns, it takes special feed and formulas to raise a healthy deer, and few people know just what to do. One of the best reasons not to adopted a fawn lies in one motherly duty most would not be willing to do, which is, for the first three or four weeks of life, fawns must be stimulated in order to defecate.
As the fawn is nursing, the doe bends her head around and licks the fawn's rear area for a minute or more. Only after this can the fawn relieve itself.
Most fawns die in captivity because their need in help to defecate is not recognized or fulfilled.
Even if by chance you raise a healthy fawn into a full grown deer, does become nuisances and bucks as shown above can get ornery and dangerous, especially during the rut season.
Most fawns are not orphans. The mother is not far away, she is just waiting for you to leave the area.
