Most cases of abandoned fawns are actually cases of human misinterpretation.
QUESTION: We were fortunate enough to have a doe give birth in our neighbor’s yard back in May. The doe had twins. The yard is completely fenced in, and the neighbors are here in the home only during the summer. Three days ago we noticed the gate was open, and that one of the fawns, was gone. Since our neighbors were still out of town, we went over to see if there was a sign of possible predator capture. The second fawn is still there as of this morning. My question is, will the doe move only one fawn at a time? And, will she come back for the second fawn? Or do I need to contact our local wildlife folks to come and gather this little one?.
ANSWER: In almost all cases of abandoned or seemingly abandoned young wildlife, the best course of action is to leave them alone. The road to disaster is paved with good intentions, and we often do more harm than good in trying to be helpful.
Leaving fawns inside a fenced-in yard is a terrible idea and might even be illegal, depending on your state’s laws. When they’re young, does often leave their fawns and go off to feed. They may be gone for some time and travel quite a distance, but they return eventually.
— Recent Ask the Biologist Question: Thank You, Mom: Fawns don’t spend a lot of time with their mothers, but the time they spend is critical. Find Out The Answer!