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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 30, 2018 18:18:42 GMT -5
Came home this evening to find a doe in my garden area. This is not a rural area; it's a city type area, although we are close to a zoo. A neighbor has said he's seen deer in the area as well.
She seems to have an injured right hind leg, holding it up when she hops or stands still. She's hopped over to my next door neighbor's yard now. The only way out from either of our yards is to the front, with a street that's too well traveled, with speeding cars at rush hour and hospital shift change time.
Police won't do anything; said just let nature takes its course. MI Humane Society is closed but message advises to find a wildlife rehabilitator. I'm starting to do that now but wondered if anyone knows of a national rehabilitator for wildlife? Any rehabilitator with a 24 hour hotline?
The city Animal Control and MI DNR are closed. Police said if she's still alive tomorrow morning, call Animal Control, which either my neighbor or I will do.
I wanted to feed her but according to the city there are rats all over, and I don't want to feed the rats, nor do I want them pestering her when they see a wounded animal. (I don't know if they would attack a larger animal but I wouldn't want to encourage them with food.)
I suspect deep down that if I can't find a wildlife rehabilitator, there's nothing I can do. But she's so lovely - those big eyes that should be calm are filled with anxiety now.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Apr 30, 2018 18:35:51 GMT -5
Poor baby!! Can you feed her during the evening and pick it up in a while? Or on an elevated perch or bird feeder? What about a wildlife, pest service? Maybe they would know someone to get a hold of.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Apr 30, 2018 18:53:48 GMT -5
lilolpeapicker , thanks for the suggestions - I really appreciate them! I don't have a bird feeder, but I could use my monstrous recycle bin with a top that's like a bucket on the inside. And I've got a garbage pail lid for the water. I just found someone in my county who treats large mammals but she says that they don't treat deer b/c they die of stress from being "handled" by people. She did say to put out food for her, apples, carrots, bread, whole kernel corn. She said it keeps them warm while healing. I can do that. But now I'm wondering about the so-called rat population....do you know if any of those foods would attract rats? I'm calling the zoo tomorrow; maybe they can help her. I wonder if she has fawns? Gosh, I hope not. The rehabber also said a deer can live with an injured leg. Still....I'm going to keep calling. If people didn't want to rehab injured deer, why would they have companies that do so? Thanks for the advice; I'm going to put out some food for her tonight.
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Post by binnylou on Apr 30, 2018 19:17:52 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️ , If you are going to put out food for the injured doe, consider a bucket of water also. We had a doe visit our yard last summer and she had a bad right front leg...barely putting weight on it when she walked. I think she is still around...I'm surprised that she survived the winter....because there is one who visits the yard, but she does still limp, but not so badly. look through this list of organizations and see if there is one in your area that might advise you where to find help. wildlife.rescueshelter.com/Michigan
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Apr 30, 2018 19:21:03 GMT -5
wildlife.rescueshelter.com/Michigan great suggestion
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Post by lilolpeapicker on May 1, 2018 7:05:24 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️, keep us updated on your visitor!! do you know if any of those foods would attract rats? I don't know about the carrots but they eat nearly everything
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Post by tom 🕊 on May 1, 2018 9:08:20 GMT -5
I don't know about the carrots Yes, rats eat carrots. They have burrowed into the ground and eaten my winter carrots.
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Post by desertwoman on May 1, 2018 9:44:33 GMT -5
Oh my SpringRain🕊️, How are you and the doe doing this morning? Personally, I wouldn't be concerned about the rats. It seems to me that if rats are a concern then rats are already in your area so putting out food for a short period certainly will help the doe and when you stop putting it out the rats (if they are attracted to the food) will go searching elsewhere when the food source is gone.
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Post by binnylou on May 1, 2018 10:15:18 GMT -5
Please remember that, even though she is injured, she is still a wild animal. If she should have a fawn nearby, she will warn you with a huffing sound...indicating that you need to keep your distance. I've heard ones in our area making a screaming sound...that's when I go inside. Keep yourself safe as you attempt to help this injured deer.
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Post by Mumsey on May 1, 2018 11:08:45 GMT -5
They love beet greens. Stay safe!
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on May 1, 2018 12:39:00 GMT -5
Thanks soooooo much for the concern and the advice.
Update:
I followed the advice of the wildlife rehabber with whom I spoke last night and put out some water for her, just before dusk. As at that point last night I was uncertain about putting out food b/c of the rat issue. I thought if she drank, at least she wouldn't become dehydrated.
She was as expected, quite leery of me, even at about 60 - 70 feet away, when I was moving only about a few inches at a time. I made no attempt to get closer; I just wanted to put the "water stand" closer to the garden when she could drink farther away from the house.
Still, she was frightened and bolted, using all 4 of her legs including the injured one. Pausing briefly in the next door yard, she then gracefully sailed over the fence, using both hind legs to push herself over. So she was standing on the injured leg, which she wasn't when she was checking out the violets and Siberian Squills.
Called the local Animal Control office as soon as it opened this morning and learned they were already aware of her presence. She had been seen leaping over fences, and it was felt she was stable enough to be left alone. I was also told that the MI DNR told them "hands off" any deer. Animal Control planned no further action. And I haven't seen her since.
I feel better having seen her use her injured leg, apparently w/o discomfort, and knowing that she still can leap. I hope she finds her original home; perhaps she was "grocery shopping"? It wouldn't surprise me if sections of the vegetable patches will be trimmed overnight in the future. (Maybe she'll do the weeding as well?)
Thank you, everyone who shared compassion and advice. I feel her visit was in many ways a rare insight into the mixture of wildlife and heavily populated area, and now believe that she's moving toward being strong enough to explore again.
I didn't see her again, and still haven't. But I haven't forgotten those eyes, and that magnificent, graceful leap over the fence. Although our "interaction" was nominal, it's an event I'll always remember. There's something very special about contact, albeit it from a distance, with a wild animal.
And although I'm not sure why, I feel very special this morning, very relaxed, happier, and more calm.
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Post by deckman22 on May 2, 2018 23:48:56 GMT -5
I'm sure she'll be fine, deer have amazing healing powers. We have a doe in the area that I call "gimp momma". She must have been hit by a car a couple of years ago and had a compound fracture in her right rear leg. She had twin fawns at the time too. She managed to limp around and raised those two young ones and had another fawn the next year and now pregnant again. She still limps but not as bad, can run and jump the short fences.
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Post by martywny on May 3, 2018 13:48:18 GMT -5
We have one in our back yard and call her "Hoppy" because she was obviously injured in some manner and her back legs hop instead of walk. She hangs by herself, doesn't follow the group of four or five others and munches on the rye I have planted out back. I am one of those people who prefers to leave nature alone when it comes to animals that are injured. Funny though, she took off one time running like nothing at all was wrong with her, same as yours. Gunner barks at the other deer but not at her because he knows there is something wrong. Nature is amazing, all you have to do is watch.
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Post by binnylou on May 30, 2018 11:26:08 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️, is there any followup on your injured doe? Has she returned to your yard?
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Jun 21, 2018 10:36:34 GMT -5
binnylou , I apologize for not responding earlier; I haven't been back to the forum for awhile, but need the pleasure I get from reading others' gardening activities and learning so much. The deer was gone the next morning and never returned, or at least I haven't seen her. If I recall, that was a particularly dry time, and I thought she might have been searching for water. Interestingly enough though, I'm beginning to think that more wildlife is coming closer to our very closed developed area. Within the last few months I saw something that I initially thought was a vulture. I don't remember all the details now; it was dark brown or black and had a gold beak. I don't think it was an eagle though. Its head was dark colored as well. Then last week I saw a male deer with growing antlers (don't think they were pedicels), standing about 12' from a major 8 lane trunkline highway. As with the doe, its gaze was so intent. I thought it probably was studying the traffic and wondering if it could ever safely cross the highway. The surprising issue though was that this area is so heavily developed; there might be some treed areas, or small parks, but definitely no small forests. And that particular area was more upscale with more ornamental landscaping than gardens. And I've never in my life seen a deer in that heavily populated and traveled area. I really do believe that urban and suburbanization are forcing them out of their habitats. And I wonder as well if ticks are following them.
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