by Rex Trulove

Created on: June 11, 2007   Last Updated: October 13, 2008

Of the many animals we've rescued through the years, those that are most etched in my mind are the deer fawns we've saved.

Deer are beautiful creatures, and they are a joy to be around. There are also instances when you may find yourself in a position to rescue a fawn and raise it so it can be turned loose later. But be aware that this is not an easy endeavor. We've learned this the hard way.

Before going into what all it entails, I want to explain something about fawns in the wild that goes a long way toward explaining something that upsets me.

Fawns are well cared for by their mothers. However a doe must also be able to feed. To do this, a doe will often leave a fawn behind, hidden, so she can go eat. Fawns are very well equipped for this. Their coloration acts as very effective camouflage, and unlike many other animals, a fawn has next to no scent. They also have a strong tendency of remaining motionless if threatened. All this means that a predator, like a cougar, wolf, coyote, or wolverine, can walk past a hiding fawn just a few feet away, and never know that the fawn is there. It also has an undesirable side effect.

It is not uncommon for a human being, especially those living in the wilds or a wooded area, to come upon a fawn and think that it is "abandoned", when nearly always; it is nothing of the kind. Since the fawn instinctively knows to remain motionless when threatened, it is a simple matter to gather the fawn up, with the thought that we are 'saving' it, when there is a strong likelihood that not only did it not need saving, but our actions may ultimately result in it's death. The intentions are good, the knowledge is simply lacking.

We've raised several fawns, and in every case, we were certain that the mother was gone. An example is to see a doe hit by a logging truck, then to spy a fawn, standing in the brush beside the road, looking at it's mother. This has happened to us. If the mother is dead, the fawn has no chance at all of surviving unless they are already old enough to be on their own.

Raising a fawn requires that it be kept dry and warm at all times. This may not seem necessary since it is a creature of the forest, but it most assuredly is. In the wild, a doe will take her baby into places that are dry, such as under low hanging fir boughs, when bad weather threatens. She may even shield the fawn with her own body. If allowed to get cold or wet, or if exposed to drafts, a fawn can very quickly succumb to a number of illnesses that can kill.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>