"They are lucky the deer didn't kick the living snot out of them"
I've got nothing against deer. Or any animal in distress.
But what those two guys did on the Patapsco River last Thursday was dumb. They were incredibly lucky that their misguided rescue mission involving a deer swimming in the river didn't end up killing them or one of the public employees who were called to the scene.
Here are the facts of the incident, as they relate to the Patapsco deer. It was swimming in the river. It either made its way to a spot with ice in it or broke through the ice. It was paddling around, looking for a way out.
Here are facts as they relate to deer, in general. Deer swim. They have been seen paddling off Fort McHenry and in the Chesapeake Bay. Their hair is hollow, which creates warmth in winter and buoyancy in water. In a distance swim between Michael Phelps and a deer, bet on the deer.
But these two guys (labeled Good Samaritans by a local TV station) decided that the deer might be pregnant and in trouble, which in my old neighborhood was the same thing.
While the deer may have been pregnant because they mate in late fall, it was not likely that these two aspiring Dr. Doolittles could tell, since gestation takes 200 days.
The Doolittles apparently ignored warnings from both Baltimore County Fire Department employees, who know a thing or two about search and rescue, and a Natural Resources Police corporal, who is trained in wildlife behavior.
They "freed" the deer, tying a rope around its neck and yanking it to shore.
Because they did not have life jackets aboard their rubber raft, they got $90 tickets. The officer went easy on them. He could have issued tickets for disobeying an officer.
Hundreds of people have voiced their admiration for the two men and outrage over what the officer did.
How would they have felt if the two men or any of the public servants had been injured or killed helping a deer that may not have needed human intervention?
The state has 230,000 deer. They seem to be doing OK without us meddling.
"Given the conditions of the water, what began with an animal in distress could have quickly led to a human tragedy, requiring an emergency response that could have endangered even more lives," Col. George Johnson, NRP superintendent, said in a statement.
Animals are wonderful. When we can help them, we should. From the time I was 9 years old, all my cats have been pound kitties or street creatures. Right now, I have one missing a tail and another with one eye.
However, messing with a wild animal isn't something that should be attempted by rank amateurs, which these two men most certainly were. The last time I saw the aftermath of a "rescue" involving deer, the state wildlife biologist called to the scene was injured and might have been killed when the terrified animal began flailing.
"More than likely, if everybody goes away, the deer swims out," said NRP Sgt. Brian Albert of the Patapsco River incident. "They are lucky the deer didn't kick the living snot out of them."
The two men say they will fight the tickets on Feb. 18 in Anne Arundel District Court. If they are hoping to play on the sympathies of the court as they did public opinion, they may be overplaying their hand. The courtroom in question has been set aside for natural resources cases with a prosecutor and judge versed in natural resources law.
It will be interesting to see if their luck holds.
Comments
A stern warning and a finger-wagging lecture from the DNR cops would have suffice. The $180 revenue generation tactic was well above and beyond.
Posted by: Cham | December 20, 2010 5:52 PM
the deer might be pregnant and in trouble, which in my old neighborhood was the same thing.
You made me laugh outloud at my desk, OG.
Posted by: Eve | December 21, 2010 10:31 AM
The officer and firefighters had already warned them not to go in.
What good is a finger wagging at that point?
And $180 is hardly a revenue generator, given the time and salary of the officer, the court time and expenses and the paperwork involved.
A Natural Resources Police officer has the same authority as a state trooper. When he says “no,” he means no.
Posted by: Candy | December 21, 2010 11:52 AM
You have such a high and all mighty opinion about two guys that felt in their heart that they could save this animal. It's their lives to surrender and take that chance if they like. I, for one, would have done the same thing. You see this is part of the problem of this once great nation where men were men--not a bunch of pansies. It really makes me sick to my stomach to hear comments like yours, and I bet I'm not the only one who feels this way. The ticket is a joke but I'm sure they will have to pay it. It's not like they were going fishing without their life jackets on board. That would warrant a ticket. In this case, the officer had to come up with something. Need I say more!
Posted by: whalebone | December 31, 2010 9:09 AM