As part of VESTRA's Biological Monitoring on the Delta Fire clean up, Anna Prang assisted CDFW with relocating an injured buck that she had been monitoring at the Delta Fire burn site for 4 days.
Anna worked with a CDFW Biologist to locate the buck around noon last Friday. CDFW decided the best approach would be to anesthetize the deer to examine his burn wounds more closely. After the buck was anesthetized, they moved in with water, iodine solution, etc. to find what appeared to be very painful but survivable burn wounds on the legs, groin, and "armpit" areas. CDFW then made the difficult decision to move the buck. Without relocation, the odds of a recovery were very small, as at this time he was living in a completely burned area with no food, limited cover, and his mobility was decreased due to his injuries. Anna scouted out the area earlier in the morning for a decent relocation site; and it was decided to deliver the buck to a peaceful, un-burned creek side site not too far from where it was believed his home range was. Anna checked the next morning and did not see him — but was pretty sure that the buck had gotten some food and water and sought out a place that satisfied his deer senses.
VESTRA is proud to be a part of what we hope is a happy ending for the injured buck- especially in the midst of this devastating wildfire season.