05/27/2026
PSA to all nature lovers! We typically receive a handful of calls each year from concerned citizens about fawns. Rest assured, they have not been abandoned by Mom! The best thing you can do is leave them be, and keep all pets away from them.
Hi. I'm a fawn. 👋 Mom left me here while she went on a grocery run. It's cool, I have these neat spots that help me blend in with the forest floor and hide until she's back. Really!
If you see wildlife babies on their own, let them be - their parents know best, and most wildlife leave nests or dens well in advance of being able to care for themselves.
In the case of fawns, they don't move around much the first few weeks, which keeps them from spreading their scent. This hiding strategy is a fawn's best chance of survival until it's old enough to follow Mama Doe around. (Don't worry, she comes back to nurse her baby when you're not looking.)
Although broods or litters of wildlife babies may become widely scattered as young leaves the nest or den, little ones still remain under the direct care and feeding of their parents.
Remember, taking in wildlife is not only illegal, but it often dooms the creature you're trying to save. If you know for certain that a wildlife parent has died, contact a licensed wildlife rehabber and wait for any instructions before handling wildlife: iowadnr.gov/WildlifeRehab
Photo: Eric Burson
