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Stuck Buck Shot to End Pain

November 26, 2008 - GARDINER — A seven-point buck standing frozen as a statute in Cobbosseecontee Stream drew the attention of drivers traveling in the northbound lane of Interstate 295 Monday morning.

People were struck by the eerie sight of the large animal up to his chest in what looked like ice.

Maine State Police dispatch received several calls from people who hoped the deer could be rescued. Police contacted the Maine Warden Service.

By the time Game Warden Kris MacCabe arrived, the 2- to 3-year-old deer had started to die in the freezing cold.

"When I got there, all I could see was his head," said MacCabe on Monday. "He had been trying to get out for quite a while. You could see a path where he had gone out further, obviously trying to get to the other side, and then came back. He wasn't moving very much, just struggling to keep his head above the water."

MacCabe said shooting the deer to end its suffering seemed to be the most humane act.

If the ice hadn't been so thin, there might have been an attempt to save the animal's life, he said.

"We found out, too, when we got (the carcass) to shore, that one of its legs was broken. It appeared to have been hit by a car. Obviously, with an injured leg he couldn't get up on the ice," MacCabe said.

MacCabe said there also was a concern about traffic safety because cars were pulling over on the bridge, which could have caused an accident.

He said the carcass would go to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, and that the meat would be used to feed mountain lions.

By MECHELE COOPER, Kennebec Journal November 25, 2008


Lakes: Little Cobbossee Ctr
Regions: Belgrade


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