Wait before trying to rescue fawns, experts say

Those who bring in the baby deer usually think they’re doing the animal a favor. But that may not be the case, said Frank Newell, who owns the center.

“A mother deer can raise her baby a whole lot better than I can,” he said.

Newell said people often see a fawn by itself and assume it has lost its mother. But that’s not usually the case.

“The mother is standing a few feet, maybe 50 feet away, watching her baby being taken away from her,” he said.

Agents with the Wildlife Resources Commission advise well-meaning rescuers to wait 24 hours. If there’s no sign of the mother by then, it’s time to call the agency.

There are about 20 fawns currently at Newell’s center, and it costs about $100 to rehabilitate each one. That can get pricey for him and his volunteers.

Barbara Whitman, who used to rehab deer, dropped off a fawn at the center Tuesday. Whitman said the deer hadn’t moved for two days.

“So, we brought it to my house,” she said.

For Newell, it's all in a day's work.

“Some people like to play golf. Some people like to fish. Some people like to hunt,” he said. “I like to take care of wild animals.”