MONTCALM COUNTY - A woman who took four fawns from the woods, then snapped pictures of the little animals in her home and posted them on Facebook, was criminally charged by the Michigan DNR for her actions.

The woman wanted to turn the animals into pets, said Department of Natural Resources Sgt. Ron Kimmerly. She had given them to family friends, then lied to conservation officers who investigated after receiving tips that the baby deer had been taken from the wild.

"There are a lot of stupid people out there, but this one ... ," Kimmerly said of the Montcalm County woman in an interview with MLive and The Grand Rapids Press on Tuesday, July 5. "She was told. She just wanted them as pets. ... But four of them, this was blatant."

At least one of the fawns was in rough shape and died immediately after DNR rescued them. The woman's court case ended with $575 in fines and other costs - but not before she made some vulgar threats to the DNR officers who handled the case, Kimmerly said.

The incident began May 18, when the woman called the DNR and told Conservation Officer Josh Russell that she'd found a fawn whose mother was not around, and that she'd taken it.

Each spring, many people who see fawns left by themselves for hours in a field, woods or yard believe they've been abandoned by their mothers. But they usually haven't, DNR staff stress. Because fawns have no scent, their mothers often stay away from them for long stretches so as not to draw predators to the little ones with their own adult scents, Kimmerly said.

"The officer told her to put it back by the creek where she found it," and to call him if the baby was still hanging around after a few days. The officer never heard back. A bit later, the DNR got a complaint about the woman posting pictures of a fawn on Facebook that appeared to be inside a home.

"The officer tracked her down," he said. "This gal did nothing but lie to the officer. She basically gave that fawn to a family friend."

A week later, the suspect took triplet fawns from the woods. "The officer dealt with that, and again she was not being truthful. She also gave those three away to try and hide (her actions)."

Officer Russell ultimately got enough evidence and a confession. He issued the woman four misdemeanor tickets - one for each fawn she'd taken. Each count carries a possible fine of $200 per $1,000.

The prosecutor who handled the case combined the charges into a single count, ending with the $575 fine. "She got a break," Kimmerly said.

As for the fawns recovered by the DNR, one was immediately released into the wild in the area where it had been initially found. It was not seen again. Kimmerly hopes it reconnected with its mother and survived, but knows it might not have.

The other three fawns were taken to a wildlife rehabilitation specialist. One of the trio died on the way. The other two are being rehabbed and will be released when they are a bit older.

"It's tough. Sometimes they adapt, and sometimes they die," Kimmerly said. "That's exactly why the law is in place."

For more information about what to do if you find a wild animal, visit this DNR site.

