The Wisconsin DNR is looking for help!

From May 21st through June 3 the DNR will be out looking for fawns in Grant, Iowa and Dane counties in Wisconsin. Fawns that are found during these volunteer opportunities will be fitted with radio collars. These radio collars are a crucial part of maintaining the deer population in Wisconsin and can be made a much easier task with more hands. The goal of the DNR is to find and collar 100 fawns.

The search group goes out every day between May 21st and June 3rd rain or shine. They group leaves from the Dodgeville DNR Service Station.

Volunteers can sign up by clicking here

Why collar fawns?
Fawn survival is an important metric for understanding the health and growth of the herd.
The DNR’s  goal is to collar 100 fawns between May 21 and June 3. Then they’ll follow their progress into early fall.
The collars used are elastic and designed to expand as the fawn grows. Around the fawn’s first birthday, the collar will fall off.

It’s (hard) rewarding work!
Fawn searching is hard work. The group covers six miles each shift, and the going is sometime strenuous. The group will cross over uneven terrain, through dense cover and across streams.

The DNR recommends long pants and hiking boots or athletic shoes that can get wet. Unscented sunscreen is permitted, but insect repellent, perfume and all fragrances are not allowed in order to limit the amount of scent transferred to fawns during handling.