hello i am new to df and i have a few questions..i release bottle raised orphaned fawns for a local rehabber and i am having a problem with a 1 1/2 year old buck he is very friendly and he will not leave he has access to the pen and the barn where the other deer are there are two does and two other bucks who are leary of me and run when i make any sudden movements wich is good i opened the pen up about 3 weeks ago and they have not left yet they have access to grain and water, there is about 400 acers of wooded land around us so there is plenty to eat,,,should i close the pen...or wait a bit longer...about the friendly buck when he sees me at the barn he comes running and when i am cleaning the pen he tries to play with me...i know this is not good for him or me...i have read horror stories of bucks in rut killing people and god knows i do not want any one to get hurt, i have talked to the rehabber and she says dont worry about it, but i am worried..has any one ever neuterd a deer...and will it keep him from going into rut and becoming aggressive....please help...i need advice thanks
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
Don't eat him!! For crying out loud it was a bottle raised baby!
I would try closing the pen. If he does not have access to the grain/water then he may go off in search of food elsewhere.
I would try closing the pen. If he does not have access to the grain/water then he may go off in search of food elsewhere.
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
He may go off but is not afraid of humans. He will be in the neighbors yard and not in the woods. If he makes it to the rut I would not want my child to walk up on him. Can you see the news "Deer Farm Raised Deer Kills Child".
You could tranquilize him and cut his antlers off.After antlers are removed the danger is much less.This way he could still stay around.Just my opinion.
This is why I do not agree with rehabing. The process may give people a marm fuzzy feeling but it can turn real bad for an unsuspecting jogger or a child riding a bike. You can bottle raise a buck ,but you need to keep contact to an absolute minimum, feed and leave.... no ear scratching , no chin rubbing . Rehabing if it's done right is about releasing deer back to the wild,and there isn't much sense in it if the deer thinks it's a human.
I am a rehabber and I have a "slightly" different view. The thoughts about danger with bucks is well founded given what I've heard and read; however, if done properly I would rather save a buck fawn then to just wash my hands of him.
We have both bucks and does - the bucks are given their bottles from holders and have limited contact with us. The does are another story; they love the bottle and the contact, but again in their best interests we try to limit our interaction.
We have a place that is ideal for their release and would really like to have them around. We already have "wild" deer here and supplement them with food and fruit. They are not afraid of us and will come within 20' of us provided it's just us.
The wild bucks are rarely seen- except when they don't have antlers.
So for my part, the choice of rehabbing or not is easily made - They deserve a chance and I am greatful that we can provide it.
Naturally everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I would not have it any other way.
I certainly agree with Curtis in that "rehabing ... done right is about releasing..."
We have both bucks and does - the bucks are given their bottles from holders and have limited contact with us. The does are another story; they love the bottle and the contact, but again in their best interests we try to limit our interaction.
We have a place that is ideal for their release and would really like to have them around. We already have "wild" deer here and supplement them with food and fruit. They are not afraid of us and will come within 20' of us provided it's just us.
The wild bucks are rarely seen- except when they don't have antlers.
So for my part, the choice of rehabbing or not is easily made - They deserve a chance and I am greatful that we can provide it.
Naturally everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I would not have it any other way.
I certainly agree with Curtis in that "rehabing ... done right is about releasing..."
Kwildfire......you have to (and gail your not going to like this but it is best for the buck and everyone around him) get a paintball gun make sure its a good one and let him have it everytime you see him........maybe even go after him a bit.....he will learn real fast that he can't trust humans and start going back to his wild ways......I've seen it done and it does work..........it is worth a try!
Texas John - Well said!
Dennis - I don't like the paintball theory - BUT - I agree he needs to regain his fear of humans. Otherwise, he will just walk up to a hunter.
Then again, if she is on 400 acres - I would think he would be safe from hunters. Why not tranquilize him and cut his antlers or neuter him?
Dennis - I don't like the paintball theory - BUT - I agree he needs to regain his fear of humans. Otherwise, he will just walk up to a hunter.
Then again, if she is on 400 acres - I would think he would be safe from hunters. Why not tranquilize him and cut his antlers or neuter him?
Thanks for all ot the advice, my first responsibility is to the people that are around me and any one that may come in contact with him. This is definately the biggest mistake I have made with an animal and i apologize for my ignorance. I will be doing some research on fawn rehabbing..im going to try a few things with him...and i will let everyone know how it pans out...but no worries I will not let ANYBODY get hurt..i love animals but human life is my top priority....thanks again
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
You may get a zoo to take him. I was not being cruel before I just would hate to see someone get hurt. We made the same mistake several years ago with a buck found in the road. When he got bigger he was one mean dude.
Deerchaser said:
I know u were not being cruel..you were just thinking responsibly...I will not let anyone get hurt...that is my biggest worry...I will do what is right for him and every one around him...thanks again
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
I let a 12 year old who never got to hunt shoot him, very underpriviliged. He had something to be proud of and no one got hurt.
Deerchaser said:
how old was the buck when he became aggressive. and have u ever heard of neutering a buck...and would this help...im afraid my only option might be to keep him..im trying to make plans just incase the other things do not work...thanks for being so understanding and patient with me, i know people like me that get mixed up with deer and dont know what they are doing most likely really piss u off....that was cool you helped the 12 year old out, im sure he was very proud and he will remember u always...
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
If you neuter the buck he will probably not get mean. He will not grow horns in the future. If you are going to keep him for a pet that would be a good idea. He will get mean as soon as the rut kicks in if not neutered. I don't blame you for feeding the deer. I would probably do the same simply because I would not like to see anything starve.
Cutting his antlers off might not end the problem. I have a bottle fed buck that we cut his antlers off every year but at times he will still run over you and hurt you even without antlers. A deer in rut is a handful antlers or no antlers. I do not let my wife go in the pen with him after he loses his velvet. Good luck.
Just my thoughts... Deer are herd animals and thus should never be raised or released alone. I rehabbed 32 white-tailed fawns this year and of these I had maybe four "friendly" deer (three does and one buck). I bottle feed by hand and I am inside the pen a minimum of twice a day after they are weaned, bringing in browse. I do not release on my property as continued contact with me will keep the friendly ones friendly. Instead I ear tag them and trailer them (6-8 fawns together) to different areas in the state where they are far into the woods and away from human contact. I have tracked my released deer and what I have found is that within three to four months they lose their trust in people and will run if approached. After the first year the only sitings I have heard of are of my does, never my bucks. I would never keep a healthy deer alone as a pet and I would never place it in a zoo. If I felt a deer represented a danger to the public I would euthanize it. Just my thoughts....