Here's another story from another deer lover-myself:
I work at a facility where we train ALL dogs, including police dogs. Well one night one of our K-9 officers arrived at a scene where it was called in that there was a burglary. When he got there, the burglar was none other than the biggest doe he had ever seen. Well, the place was TRASHED! She had jumped through a large glass window into a cubicle sort of area w/ computers and what not and there was blood everywhere...it was just a mess. She had injured herself while breaking the window apperently.
Well, he wound up shooting her and taking her down. She called my boss (if there is a deer hit by a car for example and he can come get it almost immediately, he'll begin processing it so that the meat doesn't go to waste) and came and got her.
He brought her to the training facility-to clean her and I just happened to be working that night. Well, I smelled that familiar smell and came around the corner to see what was going on and it was obvious. I asked one of my co-workers that was assiting him to fill me in on the details and I looked the doe over while he was talking. I stopped him and asked just how long she had been deceased and he said something like 15-20 minutes at the most. I JUMPED and asked him to cut open her abdomen- SHE WAS PREGNANT!
We pull out this perfectly formed little doe. She was ready to be born any day and that day just never came. Well, the both bodies were still warm and I tried and tried to recessitate (sp?) the little one for the next 5 mintues and got nothing. We're talking upside down clearing the mucous from the mouth w/ my hand and some towels; warming the body w/ some lamps while I worked; I EVEN DID MOUTH TO MOUTH on this little creature (using the same knowledge I have of doing this w/ a large breed of dog)....nothing worked. So, sadly she didn't come around. But I tried. She was quite lovely and I felt bad about the whole situation, but I find some comfort in knowing that the trajedy wasn't a complete waste.
Thanks for sharing the story about Buttermilk! Deer really are interesting animals. |