Deer Entanglement

July 1, 2021

Question: What happened with that buck near Sacramento that had a hammock caught in its antlers? Was the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) able to help it?

Answer: We have good news to share! In December 2020, we posted a photo on social media of an unfortunate situation where a buck had entangled itself in a hammock in Sacramento County. The buck was attracted to the area by people who were regularly feeding it. It is unlawful to feed deer in California for many different reasons—entanglement in human-made objects being one of them. CDFW personnel, with help from Gold Country Wildlife Rescue’s Ben Nuckolls, responded to help the skittish deer in distress. After several attempts, CDFW Environmental Scientist David Mollel successfully darted the buck, removed the antlers (male deer shed and regrow their antlers every year), ear-tagged and released it to nearby suitable habitat. Wildlife officers addressed the feeding issue directly with the homeowners who were feeding it and spoke with the homeowner’s association to solicit cooperation from the community. Months later, a follow-up visit showed that the homeowners removed the food sources and have been much more careful about placement of items that could entrap a deer like volleyball nets, clothesline, tree swings and hammocks. Mr. Nuckolls recently happened upon the buck and is happy to share that it is healthy and growing a beautiful new set of antlers.