Outdoors

Cottage Life reader shares remarkable deer rescue story

Cottage Life Reader Meghan Bangay Collins was inspired by our recent moose rescue story, and reached out to us with this amazing experience. A few weeks ago while her father and his friend were at their cottage, they came upon a deer stranded on ice of Sherbrooke Lake, Nova Scotia.

In her father Garth’s words: “A friend and I were skating up Sherbrooke lake from our place … when just south of Kill Dog Cove we spotted a deer in distress out on the ice. The ice was extremely slippery with almost no snow cover and the deer couldn’t get any purchase and couldn’t stand up.”

 

Cottage Life Reader Shares Remarkable Deer Rescue Story
Photo by Garth Bangay

To make matters worse, the local forecast called for rain, which would worsen the situation for the stranded deer. Like any good cottager, they checked first with the Department of National Resources, who suggested they take their own initiative to solve the problem.

Cottage Life Reader Shares Remarkable Deer Rescue Story
Photo by Garth Bangay

Meghan’s father Garth further recounted that, “using a tarp and some ropes, we fashioned a rescue by my laying prone across the animal to keep it from further injuring itself and my friend on skates pushing me on my knees and the deer across the lake to the shore.”

Cottage Life Reader Shares Remarkable Deer Rescue Story
Photo by Garth Bangay

Thankfully, once again on solid ground, the deer was able to regain its footing, and it escaped to the safety of the forest.

A big round of applause to Garth Bangay, John Loch, and of course Meghan for not only going the distance to rescue a deer, but for bringing this fantastic story to our attention.