Fox Chapel has a successful long-term deer management program. But residents are likely to remember one whitetail in particular that stuck its nose in somebody else’s business and lived to regret it.
Thursday morning, state Game Commission staff tranquilized a yearling that had been wandering through suburban yards since March with its head poking through a bucket-shaped white plastic ring stuck from its chin to its shoulder. The constraint, possibly part of a chicken feeder, was removed Thursday and the deer revived, white tail up and running off unharmed.
The young buck became a minor neighborhood cause célèbre when a series of photos and comments were posted on a community Facebook group page March 11.
Residents were concerned for the animal they nicknamed “bucket deer” — and were patient with the Game Commission’s initial response that the deer’s dilemma was out of their hands. Generally, the agency sees itself as being in the business of species management and rarely gets involved in the plight of individual animals.
State Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Allegheny, with positions on the Game and Fisheries and Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees, took an interest in the case and the Game Commission took action, shifting to a public safety perspective.
“This is really fairly common — deer getting something stuck on their heads or antlers tangled up in swing sets,” said Seth Mesoras, information and education supervisor for the Game Commission’s southwest region. “Deer live with us in populated areas and interact with people and their things all the time. It becomes a routine part of their lives.”
In this case, the plan, he said, was to get within 20-30 yards of the deer and drop it with a tranquilizer dart. With limited personnel, the agency brought in a game warden and two deputy assistants from other parts of the state to work on Operation Bucket Deer.
Several times since Saturday they searched through backyards, wood lots and ravines, asking Fox Chapel residents for tips on the animal’s most recent locations. They got glimpses but didn’t have a shot.
At about 10 a.m., the deer was spotted, the trigger was pulled and the deer went down. It took minutes for Game Commission staff to snip off the bulky plastic tube. The young buck woke up, probably with a headache but without the uncomfortable collar it had worn for months.
Ms. Steele publicly thanked the Game Commission for intervening.
She broke the good news to the Facebook group.
“If you’ve been following the deer situation in O’Hara, I’m extremely happy to announce that ‘bucket deer’ has been freed!” she wrote. “Thank you to all of the concerned constituents who contacted our office and to the game officers who worked tirelessly these last few days to help catch and free him. As a Game and Fisheries Committee member and an outdoor and wildlife enthusiast, I’m so glad we were able to help this poor deer.”
Fox Chapel and Mt. Lebanon are the only communities in southwestern Pennsylvania licensed by the Game Commission to conduct deer reduction programs. The initiatives combine sharpshooter culls and controlled archery hunts conducted in part by police officers.
Anya Sostek contributed.
First Published: June 8, 2023, 9:54 p.m.
Updated: June 9, 2023, 9:47 a.m.
