Biologists bail deer out of bucket-related jam

Benjamin Spillman | Reno Gazette-Journal

A Carson Valley deer got out of a jam Tuesday morning with an assist from a pair of biologists.

The young buck’s problems started Sunday after it decided to chow down on some chicken food it found in a backyard in Genoa.

But instead of a satisfying meal, the deer wound up in a serious predicament. The top portion of the food bucket came loose and got stuck on the deer’s neck.

It wandered around the area with the plastic cylinder around its neck until Tuesday morning, when Nevada Department of Wildlife biologists Heather Reich and Carl Lackey showed up.

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“Who knows how the deer got its head through that,” Reich said. “The long part of the chicken feeder was stuck around his neck.”

Once Reich and Lackey arrived, they quickly realized capturing the deer wasn’t going to be easy.

Fortunately, they packed a sedative and darting gear and used it to put the deer into sedation.

“He was so mobile it was going to be a chase … so we got a dart in him,” Reich said of the deer, a yearling she estimated weighed about 100 pounds. “We were actually able to really easily pull the bucket off of his head.”

The deer wasn’t injured and once it was able to blink and move its neck they decided it was time to leave.

“We don’t like to be there when they wake up,” Reich said. “They’re not pets. Once he started giving us some indications he was coming out of sedation we just kind of left.”

While the deer escaped without harm, Reich said it’s a good reminder for people who live in wildlife-prone areas to keep their properties clear of hazards.