Look, but don’t touch. That’s the message from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks about white-tail deer fawns.

The MDWFP is urging residents to ignore the newborn animals, according to the Associated Press.

“We tell people the same thing every year — please leave fawns alone,” Deer Program Leader Lann Wilf said. “If you encounter a fawn, do not pick it up.”

Mississippi law prohibits the capture, possession, or caging of any wild animal including white-tail fawns. People often assume a fawn is abandoned because the doe does not seem to be around. Many times, people try to take fawns home to care for them as pets. That’s a no-no, according to MDWFP.

Lying still is a natural defense for fawns and helps keep them hidden. Thousands of fawns survive each year without assistance. In other words, leave them alone; they will be just fine.

Early in life, it is normal for fawns to be alone for most of the day. Does take great care of their fawns and purposefully leave them bedded and hidden, returning several times a day to nurse them. In only a matter of weeks, the fawns will be up following her and able to out-run predators, the AP reported.

After a gestation period of approximately six and a half months, most fawning dates in Mississippi occur from June through August.

“Following deer breeding trends in Mississippi, the earliest fawns will be born in the northwest portion of the state, and the latest fawns will be born in the southeastern portions of the state,” Wilf said.

So resist the urge to pick up Bambi — the deer will be better off and you’ll avoid a fine.