Buck up

COEUR d'ALENE - The whitetail buck that camped in the backyard of John Lawyer's Coeur d'Alene home is up and running.

Idaho Fish and Game wildlife conservation educator Phil Cooper of Coeur d'Alene reported the buck was actually feeding on vegetation when Fish and Game officers visited Lawyer's home Friday, but their encounter didn't last long.

"When we attempted to tranquilize the deer, it took off and jumped three fences," Cooper said.

The arrow embedded in the deer's backside "is not a mortal wound by any stretch of the imagination," Cooper said.

"The injury to the deer is superficial. It appears the arrow is just below the skin and the deer is working on getting it out."

Lawyer said he was relieved to see the buck bound away. He now has a direct number to a Fish and Game officer in case the buck comes back, although Lawyer said he has already seen the buck elsewhere in the neighborhood.

"I don't like to see any kind of animal die," Lawyer said. "That's the main thing, is that we take care of it."

Cooper said in cold weather, tranquilizing animals such as deer may cause things to get worse.

"Sometimes they can overheat from the tranquilizer, they can run out into traffic," he said. "Sometimes their bodies don't metabolize the drugs so well; they can go into convulsions."

Fish and Game has dealt with these situations for decades, and Cooper said the best thing to do with a deer in this type of scenario is leave it alone. For safety reasons, this buck in particular should not be approached.

"It is in no condition where we can possibly capture it or treat it at this point," Cooper said.