WHYCOCOMAGH, N.S. — The compassion of residents in the Whycocomagh area led to a new home for a young deer who has been transported to Two Rivers Wildlife Park in Huntington.
Morley MacNeil, area manager for Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry in Inverness and Victoria counties, said they received calls at their office Monday morning regarding a yearling on the ice at Whycocomagh Bay.
“We got some calls and while our technicians were out looking, in the meantime it was brought in to our office.”
Judd Poulette, 25, of Waycobah First Nation, said he saw a Facebook post Monday morning about a young buck stranded on the ice in the community.
“I just saw the post (Monday) morning so I rushed over there. There was a coyote seen out on the ice too. That’s what made me want to go help him.”
At first Poulette couldn’t find the deer but he then saw a department of fisheries truck on the side of the road and spotted the deer about 50 feet out on the ice.
Poulette, a member of the Waycobah Volunteer Fire Department, said because of the extreme cold he went to the station for his firefighting gear and rope.
Poulette met up with Joey Phillips, who was also out looking for the stranded deer and when the two men went back to the bay, Joe Googoo and George Sark were already on the scene.
“They had already gotten the deer off the ice,” he said.
Poulette said they put rope around the deer’s neck and were walking him as if he was on a leash. He said it was difficult as they had to go uphill.
“We took turns pushing the deer along,” he said. “We kept having to let the deer rest as he was scared and tired.”
The deer was also injured. Poulette said he had what looked like a chew mark under this right shoulder.
Poulette said when they reached the road they tied the deer’s feet so he wouldn’t run off. Googoo and Sark took him to the Department of Lands and Forestry office in Whycocomagh.
MacNeil said the deer had some external injuries that could be seen.
“Local staff here had a look at him and assessed him,” he said. “They concluded with some consultation with our biologist that in probability it would survive if we were to release it.”
“I just saw the post (Monday) morning so I rushed over there. There was a coyote seen out on the ice too. That’s what made me want to go help him.” — Judd Poulette
MacNeil said they contacted the Two Rivers Wildlife Park in Huntington who were willing to take the deer. At 1 p.m. Monday, their technicians were on route to the park with the yearling.
He said they also got a report of a coyote on the ice Monday morning.
“That was reported but we didn’t see it,” he said. “We went back out a second time to look for the coyote after the deer was brought in but didn’t see one.”
Lands and Forestry officials encourage anyone who witnesses wildlife in distress, such as a deer stranded on ice, to contact the local office.
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