It’s that time of year again: Leave fawns alone, OK?

Well, it's time for my annual "Leave 'Em Alone" column—meaning if you find a fawn, a baby rabbit or most any type of young wildlife, walk away and let nature take its course.

In the case of fawns, odds are great that the baby deer has not been abandoned, but that the mother deer is close by, watching your every move. In some cases, a mother will defend her offspring with an attack. That would mean a doe would have to charge the human in order to the keep well-meaning busybodies away. Thankfully, this doesn't happen—often. Rather, the mother deer simply hopes that humans will have better sense than to take the "abandoned" fawn and either try to care for it themselves or deliver it to the proper authorities.

Fawns are born from late April through July, depending on whether the mother came in rut early or late. Nature has given young deer several advantages in avoiding predators—and nosy humans.

For one thing, the white spots found only on a young deer help conceal the animal visually. In a hay field, you can walk within a few feet of a motionless fawn and never see it. Instinct also tells the young deer to stay put, rather than running away. Another protection is lack of odor. This can mislead dogs, bobcats, coyotes and other carnivores. The mother deer, however, has a strong odor. Therefore by leaving the fawn, she creates a confusing scent, leading predators towards her and away from her offspring.

A newborn fawn arrives on wobbly legs, unable to run if it tried. Therefore, until the fawn becomes mobile, the mother deer stays in the background and comes several times during the day to feed her baby. If she stayed by the fawn's side, the young animal would be duck soup for the first predator on the scene.

So if you happen to see a young deer, assume that the mother is close by and just leave it alone. Besides, without a state permit, it is illegal to keep a deer in captivity. Each animal's nutritional, housing, and handling requirements are very specific and must be met if they have any chance of survival. Feeding the wrong food to a fawn can make it very sick and possibly lead to its death; cow's milk, for example, will induce severe diarrhea in fawns.

The best advice for someone who wants to help wildlife is to keep it wild. Leave it alone. Don't interfere with nature.

Avoid The Crowd

Going fishing over the Fourth of July weekend? So is everyone else in the state. The biggest problem facing holiday anglers is finding a place to fish. I have a few tips.

If you are floating the river this weekend, stay off the banks. Let others pound the shoreline while you keep your boat or float tube in the middle of the river. This may mean a change of tactics. Fish feeding in the middle of the river this time of year are likely after damselflies or minnows. Try top water first and see if that bite is on. If not, use minnow imitations such as spinners, crank baits and Sassy Shads. And don't assume that all the water in the middle is deep. It rises and falls, so adjust your depths and lures accordingly.

Tip number two: If you are fishing saltwater, don't forget that there are big fish in shallow water. Try your luck in 6 feet or less for croakers, flounder, stripers (in low light conditions) and speckled trout. All these fish come in close if the food supply is there. If you see a grass bed, that means food. Same with reefs and old oyster beds.

Finally, don't forget the streams. Many of the native trout streams are still fishable. The levels have dropped in the past week, but you can catch a trout or two if you're cautious in your approach. Also, remember that there are usually smallmouth and nice redeyes on the lower sections of many mountain streams. Get an ultra light rod, some small crank baits, spoons and spinners and go wading in the cool streams. You'll probably have the water and all those fish to yourself.

This weekend, try to fish where the fish are, but the fishermen aren't.