Posted: 12/5/06
If you see an escaped deer . . .
Experts explain what to do when tame deer get loose
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The county board and some concerned citizens now have a better idea about that do when a deer escapes from a deer farm.
Carl Denkinger, an agriculture regulatory specialist with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and conservation officer Scott Fritz from the Minnesota DNR explained some procedures to follow at the November 28 county board meeting.
The two men were asked to attend the meeting after questions were raised at an earlier meeting about a deer that had escaped from the Larry Ledebuhr breeding herd in Mound Prairie Township.
If someone sees an escaped deer, they should get the ear tag number on the deer if possible. Then they should call Fritz at 507-895-4263,
Denkinger at 651-238-2180, or DNR Area Wildlife Manager Don Ramsden at 507-453-2950.
The Board of Animal Health is the regulating agency for deer farms, Fritz said. It used to be done by the DNR but that changed about five years ago, he said.
Only the owner of the deer or a DNR employee can shoot the deer, Fritz said. The first goal will be to tranquilize it; euthanizing it is the second alternative, Fritz said.
The deer is apparently still loose, Fritz said. He said he was hoping that a hunter would shoot it during the recent deer hunting season, but that didnít happen. Any pen-raised deer that is shot should not be eaten, Fritz said.
Susie Goetzinger, who spotted the escaped Ledebuhr deer on Monday, October 9, asked how Denkinger had responded to that situation. He replied that he heard about the escaped deer the following Thursday. He went to Ledebuhrís the following Monday to do a deer inventory and to check the fences. The fences were good and no other deer were missing, Denkinger said. He said it looked like someone had opened the gate to the pen.
The Board of Animal Health takes instances of escaped deer very seriously, Denkinger said. Fines of $300 can be levied against owners, he said.
ìThat doesnít prevent anything,î commissioner Larry Graf said. ìThat [amount] is minute.î
Denkinger agreed with Graf on that point, but said the board has to treat everybody the same, and thatís what the fine is.
ìAnybody that deals with any kind of livestock, it gets out,î commissioner Dave Corcoran said.
Board chairman Kevin Kelleher asked if there was any way to improve the system. Denkinger replied that the board of Animal Health tries to be proactive. Businesses are inspected and fences are graded, he said. Most instances of escape come from gates being left open, he said. Sometimes that can be done by a neighbor with an axe to grind, Denkinger said.
Fritz asked how the facilities are inspected and how deer numbers are known. Denkinger said owners are required to register annually, give their inventory, sign a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) agreement, and have the paperwork signed by a veterinarian.
Commissioner Tom Bjerke said setting the fees higher for owning deer would be an incentive to keep control of the deer. The fee is currently $10 per animal paid annually, with a maximum of $100 per game farm.
Jim Bakkum, who has land adjoining Ledebuhrs, liked the idea of putting a chip in the ear of each deer so that tracking one down would be easier. He noted that the Ledebuhr deer had escaped eight weeks ago. Bakkum said he was concerned about CWD.
Fritz said another deer with an ear tag has been spotted in Winnebago Valley. It came from Iowa, he said, and is not a pen-raised deer but rather one that was caught in the wild and brought into captivity.
Other business
ï Assistant engineer hired: In other board business, commissioners approved hiring Matt Kopp as engineering supervisor at step 6 of the pay range, which is $20.55 per hour. Kopp will assist with day-to-day activity of engineer Marcus Evans, handle walk-in and phone traffic, and work with the technical staff. Houston County had an assistant engineer prior to hiring Allen Henke, Corcoran said. Henke was engineer from 1998-2005.
ï Cell phone per diem: The board approved a cell phone per diem of $30 per month for jail administrator Mark Schiltz.
ï La Crescent project update: Graf reported that bids will be let in January for the Highway 16 bridge replacement project in La Crescent. South Third Street will be in phase one and will be tied up for about three months, Graf said.
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