A happy ending to tale of a young buck
I read with interest your story, “How not to get a deer out of your window well.” Last Feb. 17, my husband, Bill, and I had a similar experience. I had already left for work at a nearby high school. Around 6:30 a.m., my husband went down to the basement and, to his surprise, came face to face with a large deer.
My husband quickly retreated and called the police. The police arrived and confirmed that, “Yes, you do have a deer in your basement.” They called the county, who told Bill they would need to get permission to tranquilize the deer from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources — a process that would take at least 24 hours. The police gave him the names of several animal control experts. Soon, a man from Always Nature’s Way Inc. arrived; he had the build of a football player, for which Bill was thankful.
After assessing the size of the deer (approximately 170 lbs.), the expert described his plan. No photos should be taken, as it might scare the animal into rampage. The deer had a small wound on its leg, probably from when it broke the glass of the basement window. However, the deer was not profusely bleeding, and the expert thought he could safely bring the deer up and out of the house.
Bill and the police were instructed to prepare our first floor by overturning furniture such as the dining room table and couch. My husband also used a big sheet of lumber to create a pathway from the top of the stairs to a sliding-glass door to our backyard, which is close to a lake and nature areas.
Removal would require an element of surprise. The expert would use a snare to capture the animal and drag it out — before it could react. As Bill and the policemen hid behind the barricades that had been created, the deer was dragged up the stairs to the open door. The deer sprang merrily on his way.
It most likely was a young male, with bumps where antlers would appear. This year, we again have seen our share of deer in the field across from our home. One deer in particular caught our attention: a young male with small antlers, in pursuit of a female deer. We were glad to see the deer looked healthy.
My husband was happy that I was not home at the time, as he predicts that I would have had a heart attack. As I traveled home from school that Feb. 17, I received his call. The story that he related made my day as a teacher seem like a piece of cake.
Rita Welker
Antioch