You don’t see that every day…
According to CTV, this friendly young buck, affectionately named “Carrot,” would show up quite often in Lee-Anne Carver’s backyard. At approximately three years old, he’s been coming around since he was a fawn.
But the other day, Carrot sadly showed up with a crossbow bolt through his head… and he was…. fine?
“It was disturbing. I was like ‘Carrot, who did this?’” said Carver. “He’s still completely affectionate, and forgiving… that big personality that he has that is so trusting.”
The bolt appears to have missed any important organs or arteries, there is little to no blood, and Carrot seems to be as friendly has always.
After calling 911 and also speaking with a rep from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Carver has detailed why he’ll have to live out the rest of his days with the bolt stuck in there:
“I have been in contact with a CO from B.C. who has experience with removing bolts from a deer’s head. He was awfully helpful. I have also had a local hunting business owner writing to me explaining the bolt in detail. As horrible as the injury is, it may now be saving Carrot’s life.
Any attempt to remove it may cause severe bleeding or even nerve damage. It appears the bolt has cauterized the wound. Cutting the bolt also comes with a whole set of problems. Carrot is not going to stand still for that and, even if he did, the bolt is made out of carbon and it will splinter and shard, and those splinters can easily cause infection in Carrot. His antlers are guarding the bolt perfectly so he won’t be catching it on anything. He will avoid rubbing trees and sparring as is his playful behavior with his other deer friends, but that’s okay. He understands how to avoid pain.
It is the current hope that given enough time, his wound will heal and, after his antlers drop, that arrow may easily slide out. There are no guarantees of course, and each day may bring a different perspective. We will continue to share Carrot’s journey with you. Thank you for lending you hearts to the guy who stole ours.”
Pretty wild, eh?
