You always hear when law enforcement screws up. But you almost never hear about all the really great things they do every day.
I'm posting this to change that.
This happened while I was offshore and in no position to help.
Yesterday Mistress Linda was hanging out at home and happened to look out the window into our back yard. Imagine her surprise when she saw a fully grown 8 point deer standing in the middle of our 6 foot fenced back yard. The dogs saw it right when she did and started their full on battle cry. The buck could hear them but couldn't see them because they were inside, but he didn't like it and was looking for a way out. ML, being the incredibly caring person she is, didn't like the idea of the buck trying to jump the fence so she thought she'd stealthily creep to the truck gate and open it so the now jittery buck could leave on all fours. But just as she was opening the gate she heard him run and turned to see that he had already hurdled the fence and was in the neighbor's unfenced yard. Happy with the outcome she walked back to the house but just as she got to the door she heard a weird rattle followed by a sound she'd never heard before. Looking back she saw to her horror that the buck had attempted to jump back into the backyard but had missed it and had skewered his right hind leg on the aluminum picket. He was hanging completely upside down and unable to move. She tried to think of a way to get him off the picket but he was too big and too frightened. What to do? She called 911. After immediately stating there was no danger to humans she asked if there was anything they could do, and the 911 operator said she'd send a deputy.
About 5 minutes later a Travis County patrol car rolled up and a capable looking deputy named George stepped out. He immediately ascertained what the issue was, and ML stood waiting to hear him say he had to put the deer down. She hated this but she couldn't see any other solution. Imagine her surprise when the deputy said 'I don't think there's any real damage to his leg, so I'd hate to have to shoot him. I'd like to try something if it's OK with you". It was WAY OK with her. He called another deputy whose name ML didn't catch, and asked if he was busy or if he had a few minutes. Shortly another patrol car rolled up. Another capable looking deputy stepped out. Together they went over options, then turned to ML and asked, 'Ma'am, would you be willing to let us take down this section of fence to get him off?' YOU BET! Was her quick response. She told them to get any tools they needed from my shop and got a blanket that they had asked for to cover the buck's head so he wouldn't try to run when they got him on the ground.
Throughout all this the deer was feebly struggling and making a terrible sound, like a calf mewling for its mother, while thrusting it's rack at anyone getting close. But despite this the deputies managed to get the blanket around his head and he immediately stopped struggling. They unbolted the 8 foot section of fence and gently laid it down. As soon as its belly touched the ground the buck bolted, with the blanket still wrapped around its head. It ran into a clump of cedars, thrashed around, got the blanket partially dislodged, and raced off down the dirt driveway behind our lot, with the blanket still trailing behind like a cape. Our neighbor on the corner got a good look at Superdeer as he dashed by and then looked at the odd scene up the road, shook her head and went back inside. Better not to get involved. Mistress Linda, two deputies, and a caped Justice League Buck were clearly not something she wanted any part of.
It should have ended there, but these two deputies reinstalled the fence after calling in a deer wearing a blanket possibly distracting drivers on 290 West. There was little chance of that but they were thorough. As they were leaving, after thanking them over and over, ML asked if this was their first deer rescue. 'No ma'am, this is one of the most common calls we get'. Was the grinning reply. The fence was back up, the deer was free and more than likely back in the hundreds of acres of cedar thicket down the road, and the deputies politely declined coffee or soda, got back in their cruisers and went back on the road.
So friends and neighbors, if you are rolling 290 on a dark and stormy night and see what looks to be a buck wearing a cape at the edge of the headlights, take a minute to remember he may be wearing the cape, but it was two Travis County deputies who are the real heroes of this tale. They do what needs to be done. Not for the money, because there isn't any in that job. Not for the glory, because there's precious little of that as well. They do it because somebody has to. Thank you Travis County Sherriff's dept. and thank you to two very capable deputies, out on patrol, working the next call. read more