Someone in Missouri thought it would be a good idea to fasten a collar around a deer and write “PET” on the side of its body, apparently thinking it would protect the animal from hunters.
Whatever the reason, the Missouri Dept. of Conservation warned that it’s not a good idea, and that they are doing the deer more harm than good, no matter how well-intentioned they might have been. It’s also illegal.
The MDC responded to the area after being alerted by a concerned landowner, but by the time an agent arrived the deer was gone and its whereabouts are unknown, as reported by the Belleville News-Democrat.
“Somebody most likely took that deer out of the wild as a fawn and tried to keep it as a pet and put a collar on it,” MDC Capt. Scott Corley told McClatchy News. He added that the deer has “definitely lost its fear of humans.”
“We’re concerned with the health of the deer,” Corley said. “And nowadays since we have issues with chronic wasting disease and other disease issues, [interaction] is not safe for humans and it’s not in the best interest of the animal’s welfare.
“Obviously they thought they were keeping it safe. Maybe going into hunting season they thought painting ‘pet’ on it, somebody won’t shoot it if it comes by. That’s just not a good idea by any means.”
More from the Belleville News-Democrat:
Deer hunting season coincides with mating season, when male deer are at their most dangerous, Corley said. The deer may have been friendly in dealing with people before, but a buck in mating mode is aggressive. Aggression and a lack of fear toward humans is a bad combination.
“When they took him out of the wild his first year … he didn’t have all those hormones running through him,” he said. “Now he can be aggressive and it can cause problems.”
If the department captures the deer, agents could remove its collar then try to ‘harass’ it to move it back into the wild. Ultimately, it might be best to euthanize the deer.
Corley said if the deer is aggressive toward people, putting it down will be an option, adding that the last thing they want to happen is for the deer to gore somebody.
People on the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page gave mixed reactions to the situation. Among the comments:
“Unbelievable!!”
“They just don’t want their friend shot.”
“You can have a pet deer as long as you don’t confine it. I get someone not wanting their pet shot.”
“Wait till some kids see this, walk up and think it’s ok to pet this fella.”
“I don’t care what anyone says, if you can put the word ‘pet’ on the side of a deer…(it’s) your pet.”
“One thing to help a wild animal. But you have to let them go. You’re not helping them by making them dependent on you. They are wild animals.”
“My grandpa’s neighbors PET deer mauled my daughter years ago when she tried to pet it. People, they are wild animals.”
“People who want to interfere with everything. Let nature do its thing.”
Corley agrees, telling the Belleville News-Democrat, “It ends in a bad situation for the deer by taking them out of the wild. They have a lot better chance if you leave them where they’re at and don’t touch them.”