If You See a Deer Like this in Missouri, Please Leave It Alone
I am convinced that most people want to help and not hurt and that's especially true when they see an animal in distress. However, there are many times when an animal looks like it's in trouble when it's really not. That's one reason why you need to leave deer alone if you see one like this in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Conservation shared this interesting picture of a visitor they had at one of the commission buildings. It's a young fawn nestled up in a corner. Notice what they say about this young deer.
In case you can't read the small print from the Missouri Department of Conservation Facebook post, here's how it reads:
You never know where a fawn will bed down! This one was camped outside of Commission Headquarters in Jefferson City. You'll likely see fawns alone while the mother searches for food. They're not abandoned and the mom will return! Enjoy the sighting and leave wildlife wild.
I've bolded the last part because it's important. You might think you're helping if you try to "assist" a young deer like this, but you could be killing the animal unintentionally. The government gives good advice (for once) when they say you should almost never touch a wild animal. For one thing, you can cause them to lose their natural fear of humans (which can end up with them expiring in contact with the wrong people) and you can also cause other members of a herd to disassociate with the animal if a human scent is detected. It happens way too frequently just like the man who picked up the bison calf in Yellowstone recently. That calf had to be put down when the herd rejected it later.
It's exciting to see wildlife up close. Best to just let nature be nature though and not intervene even if you think you're doing something good.