MCCAMMON, Idaho — A yearling mule deer was rescued after she tried to walk through a mud puddle in eastern Idaho.
Idaho Fish and Game says the doe sank up to her belly in mud in a field off of Marsh Creek Road just north of McCammon over Memorial Day weekend.
The deer was trapped and could not get out on her own. A homeowner contacted Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Nick Noll for help With help of his 15-year-old neighbor Cole Gunter, they used wooded boards, a shovel, and some rope to free the animal.
Standing on the boards, they secured ropes around the front and hind quarters of the doe.
“Since she was a little gal, I was able to grab the rope in each hand and pull her out of the mud into my lap. Then I carried her onto the bank,” said Noll.
After removing the ropes. the doe jumped up, hopped a fence, and bounced up into some nearby sage brush.
“I want to ensure a better deer population in Bannock County, so every deer counts!” Gunter said.
“It was definitely a feel good day as a game warden,” Noll remarked. “I started this gig to help wildlife, and I think we literally saved a deer’s life.”
