Game warden cautions public

Tamie Laverdure, the game warden for Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks in Libby had a difficult day last Thursday. She had to put down a fawn picked up by a local family and brought back to their home. It’s an issue that’s becoming a growing concern in Lincoln County.

“If you care, leave them there,” Laverdure said. “Please don’t pick them up. Call us at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and we will take care of it.”

Tonya Chilton-Radandt, the wildlife biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said people taking in fawns is becoming a growing concern.

“It’s very concerning because it keeps happening every year,” she said. “I think people have good intentions when they take in the animal, but in actuality they are harming the animal. Not to mention it’s illegal.”

Laverdure supports her colleague’s comments.

“I don’t think the family had any bad intentions,” she said. “But, what they did is illegal and can result in a $130 fine.”

Laverdure urges the public not to take in a fawn that appears to be abandoned.

“Other than it being illegal,” she said. “It hurts the deer in the long run. They learn not to fear humans. After the family is done caring for the fawn they no longer fear humans. That deer will walk right up to a hunter and get shot.”

The fawn is harmless at first, but it will become a danger for the family, as it gets older.

“These are wild animals and will eventually endanger the family,” she said. “They can end up killing people. If the family has little kids the deer can easily trample them.”

Once an animal is taken in by a family they can no longer relocate that animal.

“We can’t relocate the deer once a family takes them in,” Radandt said. “They get associated with people and relocating the animal won’t change that. We also can’t relocate the deer due to Chronic Wasting Disease.”

Chronic Wasting Disease is a transmissible neurological disease of deer and elk. It can be characterized by loss of body condition, behavior abnormalities and death.

“No deer can be relocated due to CWD,” Radadnt said. “Montana is currently a CWD free state and we want to keep it that way.”

It’s easy to think that a fawn may be abandoned, but Radandt said that’s not usually the case.

“The public is not aware that mothers stash their young for up to a day,” she said. “The fawn appears to be abandoned, but the mother is not far away. Just leave the fawn alone. If you care leave them there. The chances are the mom is still out there and will be returning to care for the baby.”

As a game warden, Laverdure loves animals and the outdoors.

“The hardest part of my job is to kill wildlife,” she said. “I love wildlife and when I have to put an animal down it hurts me. It’s hard to have to go and take the animal from the family with the children crying and the mother crying. I have to be blunt and tell them that I now need to put the animal down. They can’t get attached to the animal and keep them because it’s illegal.”