NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Injured or dead deer have ended up in some yards in East Nashville, but some people who live there say they are unsure of what to do when this happens.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officials say there are steps you can take, and one resident is stepping up to lend a hand in that effort.
Deer are ending up on properties, badly injured and near death, which is leading some residents to take to social media for clarity on what to do about them. Tommy Holt, who lives in a community where deer frequent in Nashville, told News 2 it’s a sad circumstance.
Wildlife officers free deer from ‘necklace’ after nearly 3 weeks “I’m always upset by animal suffering,” said Holt. “There’s far more people living over here so it’s denser. Usually, this is cars hitting the deer and they end up in someone’s yard and in pain and the people are upset.”
Holt said he’s helped other residents on several occasions when they find themselves unsure of how to get deer off a property. “A lot of people that have moved here are not really into outdoor sports, so they’re not used to seeing this kind of thing or maybe they come from places where there’s more services to handle this type of thing.”
The process for deer carcass removal, or help for ones that are severely ill, is dependent on the circumstances, according to the TWRA.
“This is a very common call that we get in into our regional office,” said Wes Winton, a wildlife program manager for the agency. “If they find a deer that is passed away, deceased on their property, it would be up to their responsibility to dispose of that animal. Most of the time, they can put it by the road and call the county or city, they can go that route with disposal.”
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Keep in mind if the deer is hurt, they are not taken to rehab facilities because of chronic wasting disease, said TWRA officials. In fact, if a deer is injured, they are generally let nature take its course.
To help with humane, legal management of sick, injured or dead deer on East Nashville properties, Holt is putting together of team of residents to step in when deer end up on private property.
“What we want to do is, I’m going to get everybody’s address, so when someone finds themselves in this situation they can reach out to me on Facebook Messenger and I’ll see where the deer is, where the deer’s injured, and which one of us might be closest to the situation and available, so that at any time one of us can make it out and put that animal down,” Holt told News 2.
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He said the ultimate goal is to help fill the gaps in the community when managing deer and lend a helping hand. He reportedly put the request for help in this effort out on Facebook and there have already been a few responses from people who want to participate.
“I’m talking to people, several are hunters, and they should be able to do this safely and humanely,” concluded Holt.
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