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How to Find a Fawn

White-tailed deer are commonly found in forests throughout the United States. Deer mate during the winter season, and each doe may give birth to one to three fawns in late May to early June. Does are incredibly protective of their young, and will eat the fawn's urine and droppings to prevent predators from tracing its scent. When searching for food, does will hide their newborn fawns in secluded grassy areas where they lie motionless until the mother returns. Very young fawns are quite difficult to locate, they stay with the mother for the first year of their lives, and are distinguished from adult deer by white spots, smaller size and the absence of antlers in males.

Instructions

- 1
  Bathe thoroughly before hunting for deer and wear clean, natural fabrics. Shake baking soda or zeolite powder over your body and clothes to neutralize your scent, or spray yourself with a commercial deer hunters' spray to prevent deer from detecting your presence.
- 2
  Walk through a forest area where you have noticed deer in the past. The ideal deer habitat will have a natural freshwater source and a diverse assortment of trees, shrubs, grasses and other food sources such as forbs and berry bushes. Keep downwind if possible and move quietly to prevent startling deer.
- 3
  Look for deer tracks. Deer tracks are 2 ½ to 3 ¼ inches long, and consist of two separated hooves pointed at the top and rounded at the bottom. Fawn tracks are similar in shape but smaller -- about 1 ½ inches long. Slowly and quietly follow the tracks to get closer to deer.
- 4
  Look for deer droppings. Droppings may be pelleted or clustered, depending on the deer's diet. Hold your hand above the droppings to sense warmth, but don't actually touch the feces, as they may carry bacteria. Warm droppings indicate the nearby presence of deer and fawns.
- 5
  Search for deer beds -- heavily shaded grassy areas with an oval imprint. Deer and their fawns may return to the beds to rest during the day.
- 6
  Search through tall, hidden grassy areas away from trails and traffic to increase your chances of finding a very young fawn.

Animals & Science