TORONTO -- When Carrot first wandered onto Lee-Anne Carver’s lawn as a fawn a few years ago, she knew there was something different about the deer.
It was gentle, affectionate and even endeared itself to Carver’s golden retriever.
“He didn’t hold the normal characteristics of a deer. It was something else and I can’t explain it,” said Carver, a wildlife photographer who has been close to hundreds of deer.
But now something else is making Carrot stand out from the herd: a bright green crossbow bolt through the back of its head.
Last week, when Carrot came to their property in Kenora, Ont., Carver’s husband saw the bolt first and rushed inside in tears to tell his wife.
“It was disturbing. I was like ‘Carrot, who did this?’” she told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Tuesday.
Surprisingly, the deer seemed unchanged from the animal they’d come to know over the years. There was no blood and the bolt appeared to have missed any vital arteries or organs. “He’s still completely affectionate, and forgiving -- that big personality that he has that is so trusting,” said Carver.
Still, they called 911 and a representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources, and were assured the animal won’t be euthanized, since it appears to be behaving normally.
The removal of an object such as a crossbow bolt from a wild animal is a complicated process, according to wildlife biologist Nathalie Karvonen. As the Executive Director at the Toronto Wildlife Centre, her team has admitted many animals over the years with arrows through their bodies, but never a deer. The removal would be done after the animal is “chemically immobilized” with a tranquilizer and moved to a surgical space. The procedure would be done with the animal under anesthesia. In an interview with CTVNews.ca, she recalled a time when her team removed a hook from a swan that initially seemed like a straightforward procedure. Instead, blood spewed all over the operating room. “It was like a scene from Carrie,” she said.
‘IT CAN KICK HARD WITH ITS HOOVES’
As such, it’s not possible for Karvonen to tell from the pictures of Carrot whether the removal would be a straightforward procedure either. It could be a superficial wound, or the bolt could be “holding something important closed,” she said.
Civilians should not attempt to remove a crossbow bolt from a deer themselves, Karvonen stressed, even if the animal appears to be comfortable around humans. “It’s a large, very strong animal. It can kick hard with its hooves, even if it is habituated by feeding,” she said. “It is a whole different ball game if someone leaps on it and grabs it.”
Resources for wildlife rehabilitation are limited in Ontario, said Karvonen, but her team has travelled long distances for animals in the past. They once visited the township of Hornepayne east of Thunder Bay to treat a pack of grey wolves with a skin disease called sarcoptic mange.
HUNTERS' PERSPECTIVE
These types of hunting accidents are probably less common than they appear from Google searches, said Keith Munro, a wildlife biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Munro has been studying white tail deer since 2006 and Carrot’s is the first case of a bolt through the head he’s seen in the province. It was not likely the shot the crossbow shooter intended, he said. Hunters are required to complete safety courses for certification, part of which is learning “safe and effective” kill shots. A crossbow bolt to the head is not one of those, he said.
“It’s frequently seen as counterintuitive but we really do deeply care about these animals that we hunt,” Munro told CTVNews.ca.
“We invest in research and conservation programs and hunters help with various disease surveillance monitoring programs. We really value them as important parts of the landscape and want to make sure they’re here for years to come. I think that can get lost in these stories. Yes, we hunt them, but we also really do care about them. I guarantee you any hunter that sees this story is feeling for that deer.”
It’s unclear what will happen to Carrot, who continues to appear unfazed by the bolt. The Carvers last saw the deer on Monday, when it visited their property for the seventh of eighth time since they first saw the bolt in its head. The animal’s unfazed demeanour, even with the object in its head, inspired Carver to start a Facebook page and share a message of unity.
“It’s a broader message to teach us,” she told CTVNews.ca. “He’s a unifier. With the current condition of the world, that’s a real gift to the community, actually a gift everywhere. He’s come to remind us that we belong to each other. We’re all part of that same story.”
