Don’t pick up deer fawns

To protect Montana’s deer and elk from the impending threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer accepts, holds, or rehabilitates deer and elk. FWP Region One Warden Captain Lee Anderson says that this policy is necessary because an infected animal housed at FWP’s rehabilitation center-or any holding facility-could spread CWD from there back into the wild.

Please note the following regarding deer fawns and other wildlife:

Leave it there: It’s natural for deer and elk to leave their young alone for extended periods of time. What appears to be an orphaned animal may not be.

Always control your dog: A number of the animals FWP receives are the result of dog attacks. Keep your dog under control, especially in the spring when newborn wildlife is most vulnerable. Pet owners can be issued a citation for allowing dogs to harass, chase, or kill wildlife.

Keep in mind: It is illegal to possess and care for a live animal taken from the wild.

Should someone bring a deer fawn or elk calf to FWP, we will ask that the animal be taken back to the site where it was found. If the animal can’t be returned to the wild, it will be euthanized.

FWP also asks that other wildlife species, such as birds and small mammals be left in the wild. Usually, young animals picked up by people can’t be rehabilitated, and they are often abandoned by adult animals once human scent is transferred to them.