Every spring, we admit baby animals of all sorts, but perhaps the baby deer spend the most time with us. Whether they come in because they are injured or orphaned, fawns typically spend the whole summer with us.The video on this page shows the last two fawns of Summer 2023 being released back to the wild. They stayed with us a little longer than usual because one of them had been attacked by a predator. We kept them together because deer are herd animals, and keeping him isolated for too long would be cruel.

In the wild, fawns are frequently chased and harassed by domestic dogs. However, we can’t assume it was a dog because we serve Northern Wisconsin and live close to coyotes and wolves who actively predate on young fawns.
Unable to walk independently and with an injured eye, he was in bad shape when first admitted. Throughout the summer, he underwent physical therapy to learn how to walk again. Sadly, his injured eye had to be surgically removed.

Fortunately, deer can do well with one eye. They make up for it with all of their other great sense. They have a great sense of smell, but those gigantic ears make their hearing one of their most powerful senses.

So by September, our rehabbers were confident that this fawn could feed himself and evade predators. After he was given a little extra time to build up his strength, and after a couple of delays due to stormy weather, it was time to return them to the wild!