https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/10/28/wild-florida-volunteers-help-deer-in-florida-keys/
GREAT NEWS!: On 10/26/20, a Key deer doe was finally freed of a large fishing hook embedded in her chin for more than 2 months through a coordinated effort between the volunteer group “Save Our Key Deer” (SOKD), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish & Wildlife officers and Dr. Doug Mader.A tourist alerted SOKD this weekend, who immediately mobilized their volunteer base to search for the deer and got in touch with USFWS Refuge management. Collaborating, the feds, FWC and SOKD looked for the deer all Sunday…to no avail.Then, Jackpot! An SOKD volunteer spotted the ailing deer around 6pm and SOKD alerted everyone. The result was an amazing cavalry of help from the FWC, local veterinarian Dr. Doug Mader authorized to deal with Key deer, and USFWS officer Steve Berger who managed to snare the deer in a dog-noose while the rest of us were herding her and her little deer group from escaping. This successful Key deer rescue is the first in many years achieved through a novel cooperation between federal, state and local resident entities for our native animals. Based on the personal satisfaction e-mails sent around the group involved: PRICELESS. Can we keep up these relationships? (Click on photos to view.)A BIG, BIG thank you to Stacey DeCamp for alerting us in the first place, and for taking the compelling photo of the hook embedded in doe – that’s what motivated multiple agencies to act with such urgency!A BIG, BIG thank you to all of our volunteers (there were many) that went out in the heat, rain, and night multiple times to search for her. WOW! And it was Danielle Coaches Gustafson that finally FOUND her! Danielle and her husband wisely coaxed her to the end of the road where it would be easier to capture her. Smart! Then she kept her “entertained” with tiny bits of carrot and lettuce until we all arrived. It couldn’t have gone better. What teamwork – WOWWWWW!



