On 6/8/2020 49-year old Francis S. Ready was contacted by OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers at his residence in Siletz and was in possession of a black-tailed deer fawn. Ready had discovered the deer fawn in the Toledo area approximately two weeks prior and took it to his residence. The black-tailed deer fawn was found to be living inside the residence and at times free ranging with the mans domestic dogs. Ready was cited for not having a wildlife holding permit and the black-tailed deer fawn was seized and delivered to ODFW biologists. The deer fawn was evaluated and determined to not be suited for release and was humanely euthanized by ODFW biologists.
During spring and early summer, Oregon’s wildlife are giving birth and raising their young, teaching them what to eat, where to take shelter and how to survive in the wild.
During this period, mothers will leave their young alone, often for extended periods of time, to feed and so that they do not draw attention to their newborns. Unfortunately, every year well-meaning people pick up these young animals, believing them to be orphaned, and take them home in an attempt to care for them.
“The moral of the story is that does hide fawns and go off to feed. They do so in secret and we humans are often not aware of the situation until we find the fawn,” explains Love. “The best thing to do is to leave the fawns where we find them so mom can come back when she feels it is safe to do so.” Removing wildlife from the wild and keeping wildlife in captivity without a permit is a Class A misdemeanor. Holding marine mammals or migratory birds, or disturbing the nests, eggs, and young of migratory birds, are violations of federal laws.