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June 25, 2025
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon's deer and elk give birth from May through July each year. It's natural for mother animals to leave their young alone for extended periods of time while they go off to feed. If you come across a fawn or calf by itself, don’t assume it’s orphaned. The mother is likely nearby and will return once the area is free of people, pets, or predators.
ODFW regularly receives calls from well-intentioned people who have picked up a fawn thinking it was abandoned or orphaned. What does ODFW tell them? Put it back where you found it.
When people remove them from the wild, young animals miss the chance to learn where to seek cover, what to eat and how to escape from predators and other dangers. The time young animals spend with their parents and in their natural environment is crucial for the development of their long-term survival skills.
Removing an animal from the wild is also a violation of Oregon wildlife laws. (ORS 497.308 – No person shall remove from its natural habitat or acquire and hold in captivity any live wildlife in violation of the wildlife laws.)
Fawns and calves are most vulnerable to predators in their first few weeks of life when they can't keep up with the adults. To avoid calling attention to their offspring, mothers will hide their young in brush and leave to forage for food, sometimes for long periods. A fawn or calf's spotted coat helps camouflage them as they stay motionless. They also have very little odor as another protection against attracting predators.
Picking up wildlife causes more harm than good
If you see a fawn alone, leave it where it is - its mother is likely nearby. The hard truth is that removing a fawn from the wild almost immediately reduces its chances of survival to zero. Deer do not abandon their fawns. A doe invests months of energy into raising her young and will go to great lengths to find her fawn when she returns from foraging, often searching the area extensively.
If you encounter deer or elk, especially with young, give them space and enjoy viewing from a distance. If your presence disturbs wildlife, you're too close.
Keep pets leashed and away from wildlife
Deer and elk see dogs as a threat and may respond aggressively to protect their young. Female elk with young calves have injured and killed pets in Oregon and Washington. It is their instinct to protect their young.
Roosevelt elk are the largest elk subspecies in terms of body size, with bulls generally weighing 700-1,100 pounds. Cow elk will aggressively protect their young in the spring and summer. Bull elk become especially aggressive during the fall rut when they challenge other males and will charge anything that comes too close.
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Photos available:
Elk cow with calf, ODFW
Black-tailed deer fawn, ODFW
Mule deer fawn nestled next to brush, ODFW
Mule deer fawn tucked under a large rock, ODFW
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