Hello Experienced Farmers,
I have a question and wonder if anybody has any thoughts about this tame wild buck fawn. Here is the story:
Last June a ladyfriend in Montana, Plains area, found a buckfawn wrapped up in barbwire on her property (pine woods mostly). Had no clue about anything regarding legal requirements etc. so her and her companion doctored the fawn and raised him on goatsmilk. Built a pen for him and he grew to be a nice, very tame buckfawn. Came January I recommended to let him out that he needs to learn to be a deer and she did let him out of the pen. He's been coming back to eat and get his petting time and than go off into the woods again. She has been feeding him according to what advice I gave her, mixing what feed she could get and adding fresh veggies and apples. All was fine until a few weeks ago. She messaged that he was getting skinny though he'd eat as usual. His visits slowed down to every couple of days showing up, he also had apparently found deer company. This past week she told me that he had not come back for a week and had been listless and getting skinny fast. Tried to get Zimercterin Gold into him, didn't work, so last de-worming was back in winter with safe guard. The only thing coming to my mind was CWD, but Montana shows as no CDW state. Now we all know they might just not have been looking for it, so they don't know if it's there or not.
I forwarded her photos of CWD deer and she said that he did look as bad as one of them. By today it's been 10 days since he last came back and she is very sad and depressed. We are sort of thinking that he did die out there in the wild somewhere. Now I would really like to know if anybody has any thoughts on what might be wrong with this fawn (if he's still alive) and did anybody hear of any CWD cases in Montana?
Please share your ideas, I'd like to learn too what might be causing this boy to go backwards as he has been doing. I'd really appreciate any input. Thanks a lot and hope your deer are all doing well.
I have a question and wonder if anybody has any thoughts about this tame wild buck fawn. Here is the story:
Last June a ladyfriend in Montana, Plains area, found a buckfawn wrapped up in barbwire on her property (pine woods mostly). Had no clue about anything regarding legal requirements etc. so her and her companion doctored the fawn and raised him on goatsmilk. Built a pen for him and he grew to be a nice, very tame buckfawn. Came January I recommended to let him out that he needs to learn to be a deer and she did let him out of the pen. He's been coming back to eat and get his petting time and than go off into the woods again. She has been feeding him according to what advice I gave her, mixing what feed she could get and adding fresh veggies and apples. All was fine until a few weeks ago. She messaged that he was getting skinny though he'd eat as usual. His visits slowed down to every couple of days showing up, he also had apparently found deer company. This past week she told me that he had not come back for a week and had been listless and getting skinny fast. Tried to get Zimercterin Gold into him, didn't work, so last de-worming was back in winter with safe guard. The only thing coming to my mind was CWD, but Montana shows as no CDW state. Now we all know they might just not have been looking for it, so they don't know if it's there or not.
I forwarded her photos of CWD deer and she said that he did look as bad as one of them. By today it's been 10 days since he last came back and she is very sad and depressed. We are sort of thinking that he did die out there in the wild somewhere. Now I would really like to know if anybody has any thoughts on what might be wrong with this fawn (if he's still alive) and did anybody hear of any CWD cases in Montana?
Please share your ideas, I'd like to learn too what might be causing this boy to go backwards as he has been doing. I'd really appreciate any input. Thanks a lot and hope your deer are all doing well.
