Mississauga has a healthy population of white-tailed deer that live and travel within the City’s ravines and wooded areas. They can be spread over several hundred acres depending on the season, sex of the deer and habitat quality.
Adult white-tail deer range from 100 to 300 pounds and have reddish-brown coats in the summer that fade into a greyish in the summer. Among the adult deer, only the male deer (bucks) have antlers.
Fawns (baby deer) are much smaller in size than adults and have spotted reddish coats.
You may encounter baby or adult deer in public or private spaces throughout all four seasons of the year. Learn what to do and what not to do during or after an encounter.
Fawns are baby or young deer and they are only born in the late spring and early summer seasons.
It is normal to find fawns that are quietly curled up and alone. This does not mean they are abandoned, and it rarely is the case.
If a fawn appears healthy, leave them alone and keep children and pets away from the area. If you’re concerned that the fawn may be abandoned or require medical attention, you can monitor it from a distance and reassess the situation in 24 hours.
It is common to see deer roaming around in Mississauga neighbourhoods, especially ones close to naturalized spaces or if they have been fed by humans.
If you observe a healthy deer in your yard or neighbourhood, do not try to interact or approach it. Deer will leave on their own.
If you approach the deer, there’s a high chance they’ll get injured in the process of running away, as they may run into a house window or onto the roadway with incoming traffic.
Do not feed deer. Information about why it’s important not to feed deer and how doing so can hurt them is available online.
If a deer is injured or ill, you may notice:
If you suspect a deer is sick, injured or orphaned, contact Animal Services at 905-896-5858.