My husband and I went out Sunday am to blood trail a doe he bow shot the evening before.... as we followed the blood trail across the cut corn we had a good idea of where we would find her and went on to check the area when .....he happened apon a bedded deer .... Turned out not to be the Doe my husband shot but it was a small Button Buck.
We were able to walk right up to it and then I reached out and touched it and it wouldnt spook.
We then knew that there was something seriously wrong with him. The temp that day with the high winds was -10 degrees and I could see the steam coming off the buck leading us to believe he was loseing body heat fast. The poor thing was just so tiny..... so much smaller than the average BB in our area and he was just skin and bones.
I examined him and found no obvious signs of injury and their was no mother doe in the area... so he was on his own... I found his coat was soaking wet to the skin and had then his coat had froze... we assume he had crossed the river behind him like we see the deer do all the time there... got wet and in the severe cold his coat began to freeze and he was just to small to cope with the severe conditions.
He was unable to stand without assistance so we decided to try and help him... I put him in the back of the supercrew and we had the CPO come out and he refered us to the U OF I Large Animal Clinic where they have a Wildlife Rescue Center... But the CPO said we would have to transport him there...The CPO would have distroyed him on the spot if we didnt take him and we really thought he had a fighting chance, the IDNR does not take any part in Wildlife Rehabilitation...So he told us it was up to us.... we didnt think to cover his eyes till we got to the truck to reduce stress and I pray we didnt cause him any additional stress.
The poor thing was just so small he really pulled at our heart strings.... and since it is a area we both bowhunt regularly and we have taken 5 good bucks there in the last 4 years we wanted to help him and give something back to the area... no one likes to see the little ones die.
But alas I called the U OF I the following morning and spoke to the Vet and he said he was in surgery and the little buck died before he got out of surgery and before he had a chance to examine him..... they seemed to not really want to take him in the first place, for fear of what diseases he may have been carrying... they were awfully disorganized and seemed really caught off guard....( I am glad they offer the Rescue service just think they could do A MUCH BETTER JOB WHEN IT COMES TO TAKEING IN DEER,,, AFTER ALL THEY ARE A TEACHING AND LEARNING INSTITUTION AND ALSO HANDLE MOST OF THE IDNR TESTING ETC.... and its not like deer are a rareity around these parts of Illinois...but as my husband says they seemed to take pitty on him and placed him in a Quarintined Isolation Stall Room with soft hay and heat where he passed away.
We just like to think that at least he died warm and comfortable out of the harsh cold and winds.
So here is one for you PETA ... Dont think they will show these photo's with the truthful story on their website anytime soon... might show we hunters have hearts and are not blood thirsty heartless killers as they would like to potray us to be to the public.
Goes to show Mother Nature Dosent Play Favorites... Even When It Comes To The Little Ones.