Matthew Brown of Colvill was startled when he discovered this six-point buck tangled in a hammock on his property. He was greatly relieved that the animal was freed, thanks to Conservation Officer Darin Fagerman. Left: Brown holds the piece of antler that was tangled in the hammock.
There is one very lucky deer traveling in the Colvill area. The buck may be short an antler, but it is free, thanks to two local men who came to its aid.
Matthew Brown of Colvill was taking a leisurely after-holiday stroll around his property at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 27 when he heard a commotion near a spot where, three years ago, he had strung a hammock between two trees. Brown was startled to see a buck tangled in the hammock. “I couldn’t get anywhere near him,” said Brown. “He was kicking and bucking.”
Brown called Cook County Law Enforcement, asking for help. CO Darin Fagerman arrived about 4:45 p.m. and he too, was frustrated that he couldn’t get close enough to help. “He was wrapped up so bad, even if he was sedated it would have taken a long time to get him loose.”
The men thought about cutting the hammock ropes close to the trees, but then the six-point buck would have a mass of tangled rope and material to drag through the forest.
Photo by Matthew Brown
Fagerman sadly concluded that he would have to “dispatch” the deer. The DNR has a list of people who take deer killed in car crashes or similar circumstances, so the animal wouldn’t go to waste. However, fate intervened for this deer.
Not wanting to watch the animal killed, Brown stepped away. He heard a shot and thought it was over—and then he heard another. At that point, Brown had to look to see what was going on. “I wondered, how bad a shot is this guy?” he chuckled.
However, to his amazement, a final shot sounded and as Brown watched, the deer took flight, leaving most of his antler behind.
Fagerman explained that the deer really was lucky. He intended to dispatch the buck with the first shot, but it jumped and he missed. However, as it jumped, it pulled itself away from the ropes, leaving what Fagerman said was “a two-inch view of the antler.”
Fagerman said, “I figured ‘what the heck, I’m going to kill him anyway, I might as well try.’”
He didn’t really think he would hit the antler. He was holding a flashlight to see where he was shooting and he had only a .40 caliber handgun. But he gave it a try and aimed for the antler, chipping it with the first shot. He fired again and sheared off the antler, allowing the deer to escape.
The six-pointer was now a threepointer. An interesting shed will be found by someone later this year.
The next day, during daylight hours, Brown returned to retrieve the broken antler. He said it took quite awhile to get the horn free from the tangled ropes, but he managed. He said he would be giving the antler to Fagerman, as it was his trophy. “What a great guy Darin is,” he said.
Fagerman also appreciated Brown’s efforts. He said Brown did just the right thing by calling law enforcement. Anyone who sees an animal in distress should not try to rescue it alone, but should call Cook County Law Enforcement at (218) 387- 3030 or 9-1-1.
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