The Observation Deck

A car hit a deer on Lake Ave last night in front of our house, near Summit. It stood still on the tree lawn for about 10 minutes, then laid down. The police arrived about 10 minutes after the incident and the game warden, I'm assuming, arrived about 15 minutes later. He euthanized the deer with one shot to the head. It was over for the deer, but I'm afraid the driver of the car has some repairs to look forward to. The hood of his car was beat up pretty good.

I never actually thought about being on the lookout for deer around here. Has anyone heard of this happening before? Are they coming from the Rocky River reservation?

I believe it was sometime last fall that I nearly hit what I think was an 8 point buck on Lake Avenue.

Ohio deer are big ones compared to those in my home state of Pennsylvania.

With the changing of the seasons, it's a good idea to be on the lookout for our furry and feathered friends.

Most likely they are. Deer populations have been so large in the Metro Parks, that the police have had to hunt them to keep the population from starving do to the over-population of deer.

Back in the early '70s I think, give or take a few years, my boss on a job I had hit a deer in the Metro Parks, and the car was totaled. A Riviera no less, not a small car at all at the time.

Mark Allan Crnolatas

That is very sad.

Maybe the deer was just winded.

still, I am kind of hungry

I remember hearing on the scanners that there was a deer hanging out at the IHOP parking lot on detroit.

weiiiiiiird.

ryan costa wrote: still, I am kind of hungry

Lakewood cops are allowed to shoot them? That surprises me. Some city's do not allow that. They "let nature take it's course". Like a car is natural...

This is nothing new. They get down north and east of Bunts now and then. Few years ago we had one down the center of Elbur north of Merl. I can remember it happening when I was a kid.

There is a big fox that lives over off of edgewater east of Lkwd park. I see it on occasion walking the dogs. Coyotes will be here soon up from the Metro Park if they aren't already. The neatest thing I've seen so far was a Bald Eagle about a month ago fly over Detroit and Bunts.

Joe

I'm not sure LPD has been in on the "harvesting". I do know that Metro Parks Police have had to.
As I'm sitting and thinking back, I think Metro Parks Police and some suburban PDs which may have included LPD were in on the hunting some time back, and the meat was donated to a food charity.

Mark Allan Crnolatas

I remember seeing on the news a few years back that some city in the greater cleveland area would go on yearly deer slayings because the area was so overpopulated with them.

Now using the word "slayings" sounds scary and macabre but I can't think of any pleasant way of telling that. I really do hope some of that gets donated because think of all the people 40+ deer could feed.

I am not a police officer.

I've seen deer in my yard on Forest - between Clifton and Lake. I have followed one down Lake watching it elegantly jump hedges until it disappeared somewhere short of Lakewood Park. We have skunks, possums, racoons and fox here. I have seen them all in the neighborhood and all but the fox, right here in our yard.

I guess it isn't surprising as their habitat goes away that they are adapting to city life. So are the birds, I keep seeing beautiful birds of prety overhead.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Lakewood cop that did the shooting. At one point there were 5 police cars here, and they kept people clear for about 20 minutes. Then, a covered pickup arrived and a man in shorts jumped out. After a few minutes, he slowly approached the deer from behind and fired one shot, pretty much straight down. They waited a few minutes and then checked to make sure it was dead. He dragged it into the back of his truck and left.

I was wondering what they did with the deer also. My friend, who's a hunter and witnessed this too, thinks they might not be able to use the meat.

Sorry Ryan, no venison stew for you.

I was walking along the paved trails above the brookside park next to the zoo a few months ago. I was sorta tranced out. Then I stopped and looked to my right. A deer was nibbling at roughage 4 feet away.

Memories of local news footage of a deer attacking a man came to me. It had charged him, pushing him into a fence and throttling him. So I stood still, waiting for the deer to either attack or go away. It noticed me after a few seconds. It stood still a few more seconds, then went away.

I am glad it didn't attack.

Ryan-- I think that was a commercial that you saw. And the guy beat up the deer enough that it ran away. And he was a hero to his girlfriend, the guy that is.
Besides, hooves aren't any good for throttling.
Stan

I am familiar with the commercial you speak of. Now I remember the news clip more clearly. It was a deer at a petting zoo or nature preserve. It smashed the guy into a fence. The guy had a sort of reverse headlock on the deer, but the deer was pushing the guy around. They must get brazen after a while.

ryan costa wrote:They must get brazen after a while.

Deer are not to be messed with. Especially a buck during rutting season. They can be very dangerous animals.


Joe