Those darn antlers!

What to do when you see a deer in distress.

This summer, we’ve had reports of a few bucks with their antlers and heads wrapped in netting, and as a result, questions around what steps should be taken.

Sometimes, if the buck is unable to eat or drink and is in distress, and conservation officers are unavailable, our wildlife vet is able to receive permission from the province to sedate the buck in order to remove the netting. With the help of several volunteers tracking a buck for multiple hours earlier this spring, that’s exactly what happened, we were able to remove sports netting wrapped tightly around his head and mouth that was preventing him from eating and drinking.

There was also an instance where a young buck spotted with netting around his antlers was able to remove it himself, and recently another one was spotted in Oak Bay with green netting in his antlers. Because he can eat and drink, and isn’t too perturbed by the netting, the decision was made to leave him alone. Ultimately, the less we have to handle a deer, the better it is for them.

And finally, another buck with netting and a branch around his antlers and drooping into his face, was reported to us last week with fears the branch was in his eye. A number of folks kept watch for several days and when the wildlife vet was available, a raft of volunteers quickly mobilized, located the buck, and the vet was able to sedate him and remove the netting and branch, a positive outcome.

The thing is, with only two conservation officers for all of Vancouver Island, and only one wildlife vet equipped to handle urban deer, they often are not available. It’s important to know that they need to have as many details as possible to determine if they need to intervene. If you see a buck with netting around its head, or any deer in distress, here are the steps to take:

Observe from a safe distance, use binoculars if you can
Watch to see if they are eating and/or drinking
Take a few photos, zoom in if you can
If the deer is mobile, able to eat/drink and not in distress, you don’t need to take any further action. If you are on social media and see that others are posting and concerned, consider responding with what you’ve observed, in order to reassure others – if it’s netting, remember that antlers start to fall off around December and January!
If the deer is in distress and/or unable to eat or drink:

- - Call the conservation RAPP line 1-877-952-7277
  - You can follow up with an email at [email protected], provide as much information as you can including last location observed and photo
  - Inform the UWSS at [email protected], also with detailed info and photos if available
  - Alert others so that as many eyes can be on the deer as possible, in order to help either conservation officers or the wildlife vet have as precise a location as possible when they arrive on the scene, which can be hours or even days
  - Only if the deer is in extreme distress, call the non-emergency police line

For more information, please go to UWSS.ca or SPCA.bc.ca

Those darn antlers!