The springtime birth of this year’s crop of young birds and animals is still going on. For the next few weeks, the tail end of the process will continue, offering us the chance to observe the antics of the newborns. While whitetail does have been dropping their fawns for several weeks now, there will still be opportunities to see days-old and weeks-old fawns through the end of June. Tree swallows that have taken over the bluebird boxes have fledged their young, and now a few of the boxes are occupied by bluebirds as they hatch out their new broods.

Meanwhile, every state’s fish and game agencies are issuing cautions to folks who spend time in the outdoors, reminding us that Mother Nature has things well in hand and doesn’t need interference from any well-intended humans. I refer to the fact that over the next several weeks, young of all kinds continue to come into this world — from baby birds to those oh-so-cute fawns with their big brown eyes and beautiful white spots!

All of these magnificent young birds and mammals are wonderful to observe but need to be watched from a distance. If you get too close, the newly born or weeks old young can panic — causing young birds to drop from a nest or young mammals to flee from their hiding spot and put themselves in danger of predation. Take photographs if you want — but do so from a distance so as not to put the subjects in danger.

Probably the most encountered young of any species is the fawns of the whitetail deer. Their birth is underway and will continue for several more weeks. Spring gobbler hunters or those folks just out for a hike have had good odds of spotting one of these young deer — usually curled up and lying still to avoid predation. During the initial phase of a newly born fawn’s life, it has no scent. This helps prevent predation during this early phase while it develops the strength in its legs to (hopefully) outrun any predators that cross its path. By the time it develops its scent, it should have the strength and stamina to outrun anything that is looking at it for its next meal.

Among all of its predators, the black bear takes more fawns every spring than do any of the others. This is a fact that many have difficulty accepting, but studies here in Pennsylvania and in other states support that fact. For those of you who spend time in the outdoors, you may have wondered why you have more black bear sightings this time of year. It is because they are out cruising fields and woodlots in search of fawns, and they will do so in daylight hours as well as nighttime.

So, what should you do if you come across a very young bird or animal in the wild? First, realize that it is NOT abandoned. Particularly in the case of whitetail deer, a primary technique to avoid predation is for the mother to hide the fawn in tall grass and then leave the area so that her presence does not alert any predators to the whereabouts of a fawn. There is little doubt that the mother is nearby — hiding and watching you from a safe distance. Once you leave, she will return to feed and care for her young. So, enjoy watching for a few moments, take pictures if you want, but don’t stay too long and don’t get too close. The last thing you want to do is frighten the fawn from its bed only to be spotted by a nearby predator!

Whether it is a litter of young raccoons or foxes or a clutch of young grouse or turkey poults, the mother is not going to abandon them if you come across them in the wild and they scatter in all directions. She may leave the area temporarily or move away slowly to draw your attention away from the young, but after you leave, she will return and gather up all her young and move them to safety.

If you are lucky enough to encounter a young bird or animal, appreciate the fact that you can make such an observation, enjoy this brief time of seeing something most folks never have a chance to see, and make sure that you “Look, But Don’t Touch!”