How to remove a deer from a fence

[DooDiligence]

My neighbor has a vegetable garden and the deer have discovered it. His yard is surrounded by privacy fence except for a section in the back where they get access.

 

Last Friday night I was sitting out back and heard a big crash followed by a bunch of snorting and growling. I ran inside and got my Q-beam and shined it on the fence only to find a full grown buck hanging there. One of the aluminum balusters had pierced the skin on his rear haunch. The rest of his body was hanging there on my side of the fence.

 

 

 

I called my neighbor but it was 2 am and I got no answer, so I ran around to his back yard to see if I could do anything. When I first got up to the deer he was struggling to get off. I rubbed his back and tried to tell him to calm down. Surprisingly enough, he did.

 

The post to the right of the empty spot in the photo was buried in his left rear haunch. Fortunately it glanced off the muscle and didn't puncture anything but skin, but it was firmly lodged there and supporting his entire weight. I stuck my left arm through the fence and put my hand on his belly to lift him up while using my right hand to try and lever the skin up over the post. I was about to give up and he turned his head and barked, and I gave his belly a good heave and used my whole right hand to lever the skin off the post. When he hit the ground he shot out of there like a cannonball. It probably took less than a minute.

 

Old boy was just lucky that post didn’t puncture anything more than skin. I never knew this before but deer hides are extremely tough and those guys are all muscle in the rear end.

 

Anyway, never a dull moment here. I hope he’s OK.

[KPO]

2 minutes ago, DooDiligence said:

My neighbor has a vegetable garden and the deer have discovered it. His yard is surrounded by privacy fence except for a section in the back where they get access.

 

Last Friday night I was sitting out back and heard a big crash followed by a bunch of snorting and growling. I ran inside and got my Q-beam and shined it on the fence only to find a full grown buck hanging there. One of the aluminum balusters had pierced the skin on his rear haunch. The rest of his body was hanging there on my side of the fence.

 

 

 

I called my neighbor but it was 2 am and I got no answer, so I ran around to his back yard to see if I could do anything. When I first got up to the deer he was struggling to get off. I rubbed his back and tried to tell him to calm down. Surprisingly enough, he did.

 

The post to the right of the empty spot in the photo was buried in his left rear haunch. Fortunately it glanced off the muscle and didn't puncture anything but skin, but it was firmly lodged there and supporting his entire weight. I stuck my left arm through the fence and put my hand on his belly to lift him up while using my right hand to try and lever the skin up over the post. I was about to give up and he turned his head and barked, and I gave his belly a good heave and used my whole right hand to lever the skin off the post. When he hit the ground he shot out of there like a cannonball. It probably took less than a minute.

 

Old boy was just lucky that post didn’t puncture anything more than skin. I never knew this before but deer hides are extremely tough and those guys are all muscle in the rear end.

 

Anyway, never a dull moment here. I hope he’s OK.

Wow! That’s crazy, but nice of you to put yourself in harm’s way. Where do you live and how much do you think it weighed? My biggest risk happens to be bats and squirrels! Lol 
 

[DooDiligence]

Not sure how much he weighed but his rear end was about as wide as an office chair. He was completely on the opposite side of the fence as me so I don't think I was in any danger. I was worried that he'd eventually rip that post all the way through to get away. There was already a gash about a foot long. Not as much blood as I expected but I did ruin a shirt and a pair of shorts (NTM my buzz, which I promptly re-upped).

 

I'm in Perdido Key, FL. The road out here is 2 lane for about 10 miles and is heavily wooded until you get to the key. It's not unusual to see multiple groups of a half dozen or more does along the side of the road at night. Anyone who visits the area should be vigilant when driving from Pensacola. The speed limit on Bauer and Sorrento Road(s) is 55 but I never do more than 45 at night. There have been quite a few accidents involving deer.

 

I had squirrels nest in one of my boathouse lift motors a few summers ago. They chewed up a bunch of wires. Fortunately there was enough left that I didn't have to buy anything. Just clipped, stripped and rewired everything. Now I keep an eye on the lift motors for invaders.

Edited 16 hours ago by DooDiligence

[Parsad]

3 hours ago, DooDiligence said:

My neighbor has a vegetable garden and the deer have discovered it. His yard is surrounded by privacy fence except for a section in the back where they get access.

 

Last Friday night I was sitting out back and heard a big crash followed by a bunch of snorting and growling. I ran inside and got my Q-beam and shined it on the fence only to find a full grown buck hanging there. One of the aluminum balusters had pierced the skin on his rear haunch. The rest of his body was hanging there on my side of the fence.

 

 

 

I called my neighbor but it was 2 am and I got no answer, so I ran around to his back yard to see if I could do anything. When I first got up to the deer he was struggling to get off. I rubbed his back and tried to tell him to calm down. Surprisingly enough, he did.

 

The post to the right of the empty spot in the photo was buried in his left rear haunch. Fortunately it glanced off the muscle and didn't puncture anything but skin, but it was firmly lodged there and supporting his entire weight. I stuck my left arm through the fence and put my hand on his belly to lift him up while using my right hand to try and lever the skin up over the post. I was about to give up and he turned his head and barked, and I gave his belly a good heave and used my whole right hand to lever the skin off the post. When he hit the ground he shot out of there like a cannonball. It probably took less than a minute.

 

Old boy was just lucky that post didn’t puncture anything more than skin. I never knew this before but deer hides are extremely tough and those guys are all muscle in the rear end.

 

Anyway, never a dull moment here. I hope he’s OK.

 

Amazing Doo!  Great job!

 

Also, I think you may be Greg's neighbor!    Cheers!

[DooDiligence]

I was trying to think of a way to keep from having this happen again and my neighbor came up with a fix.

 

[DooDiligence]

The gator's back in the canal again. Can't get close enough to get a picture without it diving down and swimming off. Lots of mullet and other bait fish to attract them.

[DooDiligence]

If you're looking for lots of restaurants and nightlife, Pensacola Beach is the place, but if you want rural beachy with lots of nature and a more family friendly atmosphere, Perdido Key is the place for you. The traffic has gotten a lot worse since it's just two lanes in and out. Pro tip: take Blue Angel Parkway from town and go all the way to the last traffic light before the back entrance to the naval base. Then take a right on Old Gulf Beach Highway for less lengthy traffic back ups on weekends and holidays.

[Castanza]

15 hours ago, DooDiligence said:

My neighbor has a vegetable garden and the deer have discovered it. His yard is surrounded by privacy fence except for a section in the back where they get access.

 

Last Friday night I was sitting out back and heard a big crash followed by a bunch of snorting and growling. I ran inside and got my Q-beam and shined it on the fence only to find a full grown buck hanging there. One of the aluminum balusters had pierced the skin on his rear haunch. The rest of his body was hanging there on my side of the fence.

 

 

 

I called my neighbor but it was 2 am and I got no answer, so I ran around to his back yard to see if I could do anything. When I first got up to the deer he was struggling to get off. I rubbed his back and tried to tell him to calm down. Surprisingly enough, he did.

 

The post to the right of the empty spot in the photo was buried in his left rear haunch. Fortunately it glanced off the muscle and didn't puncture anything but skin, but it was firmly lodged there and supporting his entire weight. I stuck my left arm through the fence and put my hand on his belly to lift him up while using my right hand to try and lever the skin up over the post. I was about to give up and he turned his head and barked, and I gave his belly a good heave and used my whole right hand to lever the skin off the post. When he hit the ground he shot out of there like a cannonball. It probably took less than a minute.

 

Old boy was just lucky that post didn’t puncture anything more than skin. I never knew this before but deer hides are extremely tough and those guys are all muscle in the rear end.

 

Anyway, never a dull moment here. I hope he’s OK.

 

There is a reason those fences are pointy on top . We had the same thing happen here in my neighborhood. Doe got stuck but it was more than just skin. Best practice if you aren't comfortable freeing the animal yourself is to call your local Wildlife Management Officer and they will come handle it. Sometimes they dispatch the animal in cases like that. For ours, the doe got herself off as they were going to her aid. Her rear leg actually ended up losing blood flow and she essentially had a "dead and rotting" leg hanging off her body for two years before it fell off. I do wonder what lucky neighborhood dog found that in their yard one morning. She ended up having multiple fawns the next two years regardless of the handicap and for 4 years she walked around the neighborhood with only three legs. Animals are extremely resilient and tough. 

[DooDiligence]

20 minutes ago, Castanza said:

 

There is a reason those fences are pointy on top . We had the same thing happen here in my neighborhood. Doe got stuck but it was more than just skin. Best practice if you aren't comfortable freeing the animal yourself is to call your local Wildlife Management Officer and they will come handle it. Sometimes they dispatch the animal in cases like that. For ours, the doe got herself off as they were going to her aid. Her rear leg actually ended up losing blood flow and she essentially had a "dead and rotting" leg hanging off her body for two years before it fell off. I do wonder what lucky neighborhood dog found that in their yard one morning. She ended up having multiple fawns the next two years regardless of the handicap and for 4 years she walked around the neighborhood with only three legs. Animals are extremely resilient and tough. 

 

They certainly are resilient. We're a bunch of pussies in comparison. Opposable thumbs for the win.

[gfp]

A few years ago I got a call from a neighbor who was at work to go over and check on his wife - she was in the back yard and their large dog was stuck on the fence.  The dog was hanging on the fence and when she went to help him he got scared and bit her in the eye-lid and it was hanging off and bleeding everywhere and she was freaking out.  I broke the fence boards so the dog could be freed without getting bit myself and took the neighbor lady to the ER where they stitched her up and later she got plastic surgery to fix her eyelid.  Sheesh

[DooDiligence]

Situation can get out of hand quick. Me and the buck were lucky that this was so easy in comparison.