He may have gotten in over his head …
Early one morning in late October in Emsworth, England, a local resident set out to check on their horses. But instead of a peaceful scene, they discovered a deer in big trouble out in the field.
A male fallow deer had gotten his antlers twisted into strands of wire from a nearby fence. While trying desperately to escape, he made things much worse — a large wooden post, about 6 feet long, had become stuck to his antlers as well.
Concerned, the resident contacted the RSPCA for help.
“The poor buck was stuck to the post by his antlers,” RSPCA animal rescue officer Marie explained to The Dodo. “He could move around in a circle of roughly 50 feet, but that was it.”
Even though he could walk in a small area, he was still trapped, forced to carry the heavy pole from his head, which was putting painful pressure on his neck. ARO Marie guessed he had been struggling like that for nearly half a day.
Because he was scared, exhausted, and hurting, Marie knew the safest way to free him was with sedation — but that came with its own risks. Deer can suffer from extreme stress after being trapped, sometimes leading to muscle damage that can be life-threatening.
Fortunately, a nearby equine veterinarian was able to come assist. With the deer’s herd watching from a distance, the vet carefully sedated the buck. Marie removed the tangled wire and finally lifted the heavy post away.
Thankfully, the deer handled the procedure well. After resting in a quiet area of shrubland for a few hours, he woke up and stood again.
This type of rescue is not unusual in the fall, Marie explained. During rutting season, male deer often decorate their antlers with anything they can find to show off to females and warn other males to keep their distance.
According to The Royal Parks, it’s common to see deer sporting leafy or grassy “crowns” during this time of year — though in this case, the buck ended up with a far more troublesome accessory.
Once fully recovered, he was able to trot back to his herd again.
“It was wonderful to see him rejoin them,” Marie said.