California officials warn against 'fawn-napping' as deer season peaks

Wildlife officials and animal care workers across California are urging residents to leave lone fawns undisturbed, warning that well-intentioned attempts to remove the animals — a practice now called "fawn-napping" — cause extreme stress and sometimes prove fatal.

The advisory comes ahead of Memorial Day weekend, when officials say outdoor recreation peaks statewide and fawn-napping cases historically spike — making this the most dangerous stretch of the year for California's young deer.

Mother deer routinely leave their fawns unattended for most of the day while foraging, making the young animals appear abandoned to passersby. "Unlike many babies, fawns are actually left alone for the majority of their day while their mothers go and forage for food and then come back and take care of them," said Beth Brookhouser of SPCA Monterey County.

When people intervene, the consequences can be severe. "They scoop them up, throw them in the car and bring them to us. Which is so incredibly stressful to the fawns. And, sometimes, they don't even survive that stress," Brookhouser said. SPCA Monterey County handled six fawn-napping cases in 2026, two of which resulted in the animals' deaths, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Jeffrey Stoddard of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the problem is expected to worsen over the upcoming holiday weekend. "For Memorial Day weekend coming up, we'll have a lot more people out there recreating and that's the time where this sort of an issue pops up more often," Stoddard said. Cases are reported throughout the state, not only in coastal counties.

Even fawns that survive the initial transport face lasting harm. "Even if we are able to rehabilitate them, they aren't going to learn the skills necessary from their mother to find forage, to survive, to know what predators are," Stoddard said.

Officials say intervention is appropriate only when a fawn is visibly injured, crying in sustained distress, or its mother has been confirmed dead.

Residents who encounter a lone fawn are advised to keep their distance and allow at least several hours before contacting wildlife authorities — the mother is almost always nearby and will return.