Limpy leg lives! (pics)
02-12-2004, 03:18 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rural Valley PA USA
Posts: 444
Limpy leg lives! (pics)
Some of you may remember I posted a question about what to do about this buttonbuck with a wounded shoulder. It's been well over a month and he is still limping along. We still have over a foot of crusty snow but somehow this guy is still finding enough food to sustain himself. I never did feed him other than the small bucket (half full) way back in early January. I don't think he got any of it anyway - there were 11 to 13 deer browsing around it. Anyway I looked out my window today to see Limpy Leg eating birdseed. He was only three feet away! I think he just might make it.....
02-12-2004, 08:55 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Limpy leg lives! (pics)
He's not out of the woods yet - not by a long shot -
His guant face tells me that he's lost ALOT of muscle due to protien uptake - He hasn't an once of "fat" to get him through the winter, and his front leg(s) are very, very thin. This deer needs a break in the weather - I hope you get it soon -....... All that said - this deer is doing something right to stilll be alive - DO NOT mess with his feed. If by chance you are feeding - you MUST continue - if not - DO NOT start. Any change in this deer's diet will be his downfall. If you do not understand why - email me at [email protected] and I will explain why.
Thanks for sharing "limpy leg" - he represents a vital an unsung sprirt of the game we love & persue.
His guant face tells me that he's lost ALOT of muscle due to protien uptake - He hasn't an once of "fat" to get him through the winter, and his front leg(s) are very, very thin. This deer needs a break in the weather - I hope you get it soon -....... All that said - this deer is doing something right to stilll be alive - DO NOT mess with his feed. If by chance you are feeding - you MUST continue - if not - DO NOT start. Any change in this deer's diet will be his downfall. If you do not understand why - email me at [email protected] and I will explain why.
Thanks for sharing "limpy leg" - he represents a vital an unsung sprirt of the game we love & persue.
02-13-2004, 11:53 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rural Valley PA USA
Posts: 444
RE: Limpy leg lives! (pics)
I'm not feeding Limpy Leg... He showed up at the bird feeder the first time yesterday and then today when I came around the corner with a cup of seed he was there again. He spooked and hobbled off. He's bedding on the slope in the woods about 100 yards away. He's there just about every day.
Believe it or not this deer looks much better than when I first seen him on or about Dec. 28th. That day I actually pursued him with my bow trying to get a shot to put him out of his misery. He was total skin and bones so he's actually put on weight since then.
Well, since he came to the feeder twice in two days I'm wondering if he's gonna show up every day now. There's not that much there for him to eat so at least he won't get too much. I know that he's been eating a lot of pine needles and bark plus some tiny saplings. Limpy and other deer have stripped several recently fallen pine trees so this must be a big part of their diet since we have so much crusty snow.
I have read some things on the do's and don'ts of feeding deer when they're hungry in the winter so I'm glad I didn't start feeding him....
Believe it or not this deer looks much better than when I first seen him on or about Dec. 28th. That day I actually pursued him with my bow trying to get a shot to put him out of his misery. He was total skin and bones so he's actually put on weight since then.
Well, since he came to the feeder twice in two days I'm wondering if he's gonna show up every day now. There's not that much there for him to eat so at least he won't get too much. I know that he's been eating a lot of pine needles and bark plus some tiny saplings. Limpy and other deer have stripped several recently fallen pine trees so this must be a big part of their diet since we have so much crusty snow.
I have read some things on the do's and don'ts of feeding deer when they're hungry in the winter so I'm glad I didn't start feeding him....
02-13-2004, 12:56 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Limpy leg lives! (pics)
His face does look a bit gaunt but if he made it this far then I think he has a good shot of making it till spring. Will he be in the same predicament next winter?
Thank you for sharing the pics.
Thank you for sharing the pics.
02-13-2004, 01:01 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
RE: Limpy leg lives! (pics)
good to hear he made it this far.....our snowsabout gone down here so maybe yours will slowly melt....he looks ok....kinda skinny......next year he shouldnt have the same problem.....he should have antlers on his head.....hes a easy target limping around........hope he makes it past the winter......
02-13-2004, 01:45 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hamilton Square NJ USA
Posts: 557
RE: Limpy leg lives! (pics)
I might think about cutting a few limbs down, it'll be calories he's used to digesting, just a good bellyful, not a bite here, a bite there. A few branches that are too high for the deer to reach should have some tasty buds on them.
