Every spring, for those of us fortunate enough, we catch glimpses of those small white-spotted animals running behind their mom. These critters, leggier than anything else, are usually seen on roadways or fields -- and are almost always with their mom.
These critters are whitetail deer, which we all know are a very common part of McDonald County and about anywhere in the U.S. The thing that most people don't realize is that these little fawns are often left on purpose by their mother, sometimes for hours at a time. That is where the spots come into play. They act as camouflage to hide the baby deer while mom is away.
All too often, this is where things go bad. People will find the fawn lying by itself, and think that something is wrong with the mom, and grab the deer to take it home. Most of the time what you are actually doing is taking the deer from the mother that is planning on coming back for her fawn.
What should you do if you encounter a fawn in the wild? Leave it alone. Whatever the outcome, it is better to let nature take its course. On June 11, students at Goodman Elementary School were taught this lesson, while getting to see up close just what was at stake.
Community on 07/02/2015