My Guard Donkey

I had a tragedy this weekend at my farm and I feel it necessary to share my story so this does not happen to anyone else . My yearling Donkey Zeus managed to open my gate to the deer pen. You must be wondering how? I would like to know myself. I had it chained with a lock that was not fastened. I lock it if we are gone and dummy lock it while I'm home due to me being in the pen several times a day. NEVER DUMMY LOCK YOUR GATE. LOCK IT! Make a long story short I looked outside and my yearling donkey was standing in my deer pen at their feeder eating sweet feed. All three of my new bread does were standing in my front yard. I do have a perimeter fence and the deer seemed calm. What happened next was totally unexpected. I was headed to catch Zeus when he started running the deer. He was doing nothing more than wanting to play with his three new friends. The deer didn't see it that way and started hitting fences. My attempts to get him to stop were futile. I was left no choice but to put my guard donkey down for being nothing but too playful. I never dreamed this would have happened. I do not want this same thing to happen to some new farmer taking my advice on predator control. That is the reason for this thread. He was a formidable presence for any intruders and did a great job 24/7 from his side of the fence. What I never took into account was the two of them being in contact with each other. I have talked to lots of deer farmers and what I have found out is that deer getting out of there fence is not as uncommon as I once thought. Each of them said if you have deer long enough, you are going to have one or some get out. Either from trees falling or one jumping out etc. I never saw this coming, in large part by my inexperience. I am still not sure if I will replace him. I may just go the hot wire rout. Still don't know. I still have one doe outside of my small fence. She has been gone since Friday. I have my small fence cut and rolled back in a few spots with food in each location. All I can do is pray and wait.



Any suggestions on getting her back besides waiting and game cameras, will be appreciated.





BTW she happens to be the best doe I have.........

I hate to hear this..i have had as many as 35 get out..always got them all back..your only problem is going to be that she is new to your pen..These are the ones that you just got right? If they had been there awhile and called that pen home then they will always comeback..New deer though usually don't..Just keep feed out and cameras and catch her on film..then go hunting with a dart gun to get her..I have done this before..Might take awhile..Good luck..If you need help just call me

Oh my. I AM SOO SORRY. If you do see her could you sedate? her then

then put her back in the pen? I am looking for one as well. I hope you

get her back.

Thanks buck fever, you answered my question.

Just an awful story....sorry to hear this I sure hope everything works out .....I know Zeus is gone but hopefully that will be the only casualty.......good luck!!

If you had had a sedation gun loaded, could you have shot Zeus with it, do you think? Maybe next time, if you contemplate another donkie guard (which have been attacked by coyotes repeatedly), you might be able to shoot to sedate?



When the fence blew over on one section of Rosie's pen last November- she never left her pen, but then again, she was not being chased by anything. She did however get a case of 12 hr stress colitis from the ordeal of watching a section of her wood stockade fencing blow over.



Maybe you can play a recording of a bleating fawn to try to attract your escaped doe?

I got home from work yesterday and my doe that has been gone longer than she has been in her new pen CAME HOME! I didn't mess around and darted her right before the rain. I had her up on her feet right before dark. I would like to thank all of you and your kind words and support. I also want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for answering my many prayers and keeping my doe safe for 4 days. She was only in her new pen for 48 hours. I am truly blessed!

I am so happy for you and your girl!

Something I have noticed on this forum is that there is a great amount of passion that deer farmers have for their animals. I don't think I have really seen this kind of passion in any other area. Deer farmers are extremely concerned about their animals and willing to make great sacrifices for them. I am just wondering am I biased or have others noticed that too.

I am glad all turned out well at the end of this story. Its to bad you had to put down the donkey but you didnt have to many choices at the time. A time that was full of pressure im sure. I dont want to be the bummer here but we all need to remember to do everything we can to keep our deer behind fences at all times. With everything coming down on deer farmers this is one of their biggest weapons they try to use against us. Oh so and so's deer got out and now they found cwd in the wild deer,blah,blah,blah we dont want to give them any more tools to use against us!!!

I am so glad God shined his hand down to you and brought your girl back I am so sorry you had to put the mule down,

I have never had lamas but a deer friend of mine does and they stay with the sheep

when wolfs or yotes come one heards the sheep to the barn while the other takes a stand when the one gets the heard to the barn she joins her partner they have killed 2 yotes so far and 1 wolf

How do the llamas know to do care for the sheep? Are they trained by man or God?

Just so beautiful to imagine one species of animal protecting another...



nice story.

Lanasvet



they are not trained it is instinct

lilcheeps said:

I am so glad God shined his hand down to you and brought your girl back I am so sorry you had to put the mule down,

I have never had lamas but a deer friend of mine does and they stay with the sheep

when wolfs or yotes come one heards the sheep to the barn while the other takes a stand when the one gets the heard to the barn she joins her partner they have killed 2 yotes so far and 1 wolf

Click to expand...

What those lamas do is nothing short of absolutely astounding and awesome!!!



SO COOL!!!

Yeah Mark I agree....but the down fall is they SPIT in your face.....YUK!!!!LOL

ddwhitetails said:

Yeah Mark I agree....but the down fall is they SPIT in your face.....YUK!!!!LOL

Click to expand...

Oh man...guess I forgot they did that!



I will let the ''absolutely astounding and awesome'' stand, but will have to back off on the ''SO COOL'' and change that to ''not SO much''!! LOL



Enjoying the CIA!!!



Hope you are well Dennis!

Yeah Dennis, me too, hope you are well ;-*

Mark I love the CIA.....one of the biggest reasons I come on here......thanks Lanasvet.......ditto back at ya!!