Helped a doe get freed from fence

[jinman]

I've often said that deer have no problem going over stock fences and I still think that's true. However, even deer do things so often that they become careless, it would seem.

Saturday morning I heard our driveway alarm and looked up to see the postman delivering mail to our house. He normally comes down the driveway when he has a package too large to fit into our box on the county road. This time he wasn't delivering a package. He came to get me to help him free a doe from a fence across the road. I grabbed my redneck tool kit (a pair of pliers, a pair of cutters, and a big screwdriver) and followed him to where the doe was hanging by her left-rear leg from the fence.

The fence is a field fence with two strands of barbed wire above it. I guess it's about 4-1/2' tall. What happened is the doe's left-rear leg had gone down between the barbed wire and the top wire of the field fence. Then, as she was caught, the leg worked like a lever to pull the two strands of barbed wire over and down while pinching her leg just above the hoof. I've tried to illustrate that in a simple diagram attached.

As I approached, the doe began to bellow so loud it hurt my ears and she flopped around, struggling to try to get free. I waited for a second because I didn't want her to damage her leg anymore or break it. The skin was torn and pulled up on the leg, but there was little or no blood and she didn't have a broken leg. If she had had a broken leg, I might have just shot her, but I didn't want to do that. I took my wire cutters and snipped through the top wire of the field fence and suddenly the doe's leg was free. She was laying inside the fence and I was outside, so I didn't think there was any danger of getting kicked. She just stood up normally and bolted into the woods.

That's the first time I've ever seen a deer caught in a field fence, but now I can say it is possible if they get careless and don't jump high enough. This doe probably saw the postman's vehicle and panicked causing her to misjudge her jump. I don't know if she'll make it, but I think we did all we could.

 

[NSBound]

Interesting story, you did a good deed! And you're quite the artiste!

 

[20 20]

Nice job, thanks for sharing the story.

 

[deerefan]

I have seen them jump a 7 ft wire fence by my place. It was amazing to watch. I had the pleasure of rescuing a baby deer swimming across my pond, trying to get away from pursuing dogs. We dried it off and checked it for wounds, found none, made sure the dogs were long gone and I set it out in the woods in the same area it came from. I could hear the mom close by and within a few seconds the baby went towards her. It was a great feeling.

 

[jayste]

Jim, thanks for sharing. I've never had the opportunity to release one but have came across several carcasses (or what was left of them) in the woods that were hung up in fences. Also, know that when two strands that are mysteriously twisted around one another usually is a sign of a deer either going through the fence or clipping the top two as the go over.

Good ending to your story though.

Jay

 

[Chuck52]

I had exactly the same experience a few years ago with a fawn. The dog alerted me to the problem, and I cut the wire as you did. The fawn's leg and hip looked terrible; I thought the leg might be dislocated. When I cut the wire the fawn struggled a bit into some tall grass on the other side of the fence from me. I decided to give it some time to recover, and if it was still there later I'd shoot it. A couple hours later it was gone. I think I saw the same fawn a few weeks later. At least there was a fawn with a limp following a doe near the same place. The fawn seemed to be able to get around OK. It probably ate some of my landscaping to thank me.

That fence between my place and a neighbors is basically abandoned. I guess stock was run on one side or the other some time in the past, but now it just marks the boundary. I didn't bother fixing the top wire I cut.

I'd bet it's not an uncommon occurrence since, as you say, they bounce over fences all day.

Chuck

 

[jimmyj]

Good man Jim. We used to have some old unused barbed-wire fences in the forest behind our place. Every time I went for a walk I would bring a pail and cutters and gloves. Over time I think I've got rid of all the old wire for exactly this reason. I'd had for an animal to suffer and tie tangled up.

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim,

Thanks for sharing. It's nice to hear when something like that happens, and it turns out so well.

Eddie

 

[forgeblast]

I had a doe slip in side my orchard fence it is 4x6 redbrand fencing, and it fit right in one of those squares, must have only been a couple days old. caught me by surprise when i went in to mow.

 

[blueriver]

Good Job. Its nice when things like this work out.

 

[Western]

Good job Jim,
Been there done that too, sometimes it can be a real rodeo. Dangerous to if your not paying attention. It's good you saved one.

Reminds me of a time years ago in the early 80's my brother was water skiing in the Brazos river on the upper channel of lake Whitney. An 8 point buck was swimming the river and my brother told his friend, " lets catch it! my brother would want it" (he doesn't hunt). So they pulled the boat over and my brother grabbed the horns ( yeah that's what I said) The buck ended up getting away and stumbled onto shore wore out from the "fight", my brother had to go to the hospital . Seems during the struggle the buck thrust his G2 through my little brothers palm! I asked him what he had planned to do if and when they got it in the boat? he said " I didnt think about that" I told him "you would have given the buck, the keys to the boat!"..

 

[jinman]

Thanks everyone. It really was a shock. The postman was sooooo relieved that my cutters made this job so easy. He told me that he had tried to pull the wire apart before coming to get me and all that happened was the doe flopped around and bawled so loud he couldn't stand it.

BTW: This is a very new fence by most standards. It's only about 7 or 8 years old and is clear on both sides by 20' to 25'. That's why I said the doe got careless. I've watched them jump this fence many times and it is so effortless that I would never have suspected this could happen. As Homer Simpson would say, this was a "doe DOH!"

 

[The Dougster]

Good job.... I have heard/read that most of the deer end up dying from shock in their struggle with trying to gain their freedom, but I have freed many deer and will continue when necessary. At least you gave this deer another chance. I hope she makes it...

 

[bigtiller]

BTW: This is a very new fence by most standards. "

Did you fix the fence?

 

[jinman]

Did you fix the fence?

I knew somebody would ask that. The answer is not yet. I want to do it right by weaving a new top wire on both sides of the cut. The fence is still tight and the three goats that are inside the 11 acres are not going to challenge this spot, but I do have a repair job to do.

 

[jinjimbob]

Would've putting a bag over the deers head have helped calm it down?

 

[sxs191]

I love happy endings.

 

[czechsonofagun]

No good deed goes unpunished

Seriously, nice story and good job.

Reminds me this yearling deer who tried to jump horse fence on the road side two times and every time it hit the middle board - I was laughing so hard when it finally gave up and went under the fence - the deer has probably lifetime trauma because of me

 

[jayste]

No good deed goes unpunished

Seriously, nice story and good job.

Reminds me this yearling deer who tried to jump horse fence on the road side two times and every time it hit the middle board - I was laughing so hard when it finally gave up and went under the fence - the deer has probably lifetime trauma because of me

Prokop, your fence made that poor animal "deerlerious"!

Jay

 

[SLOBuds]

That's is such a good story. I myself have another story that did not have a similar positive ending. Neither my wife nor I are hunters, so the event traumatized us for quite a while as we settled in our mind about the realities of nature.

I carried the carcus to an open field, far away and isolated from everything, to let the rest of the life cycle take its course easily. Out where our farm is, the process is very quick as there are many that need refueling.

I said my thanks to him then left, each of us going our seperate ways.