A Hard Day

 

I returned to the Woods on Monday morning planning to clear more of the trails with my chainsaw from the broken trees left by the October ice storm. I began at the SW Gate and encountered a lot of heavy branches down from the big bur oaks there and hackberry. After a few hours of work with the saw and hauling branches I had worked to a location midway along the south border fence behind the transfer station. A sudden violent movement 50 feet away along the fence line caught my eye.

A white tailed doe was caught in the fence with one foot tangled in wire up at 5 feet. Who knows how long she had been caught there. Must have tried to jump the fence.

I immediately made my way out to the car and drove to the Animal Shelter on Jenkins. They answered when I rang the bell and I and described the situation. One of the officers grabbed some big wire cutters and drove his truck back to the SW gate. We walked to the deer and he approached it carefully, as it was struggling. He cut the fence and the deer immediately 'ran' 20-30 feet, but using only its front legs. The officer watched it for a while. He was hoping for her to get her back legs back under her. He was joined after ten minutes by another officer. The doe could not walk (or survive) and they told me they would euthanize her. I left and drove to the Tree Loop to work there. I heard the two shots at 1 o'clock.

I was quietly sad thinking about the life of that wonderful creature until I quit and left the Woods.

Lots of thoughts floated through my head but I was struck by its struggle to live.