Deer shot in the head by blundering hunter is STILL wandering around New Jersey town as wildlife officials fail to catch it

NEW JERSEY -- A young doe horrifically shot through the head with an arrow is still alive and searching for food in a New Jersey garden.

The doe was photographed again on Wednesday by Susan Darrah as it foraged in her Boonton garden.
 

 

She said the young animal appeared with several other deer after she left out corn and pears on the advice of the Fish and Wildlife Division.

Wildlife officials are planning to tranquilize the deer so the arrow can be removed, according to NJ.com.

Despite Ms Darrah spotting the injured animal several times since it first appeared in her garden on Friday, no one in the wildlife department has encountered it.

Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the department, said staff are looking for the deer and contacts in the hunting community have been asked to search for it too.

Until it has been caught Ms Darrah says she is 'on deer watch'.

Its latest appearance on Wednesday was at about 4.30pm. It was with several other deer and the animals remained in Ms Darrah's garden until it got dark.

She first alerted authorities to the animal's plight after photographing it in her garden. She said she was shocked to see it had a dart wedged near its jaw.

'Want to know what sucks? THIS!' She posted on her Facebook page, 'Tried to capture him to no avail... he can eat, run and there's no blood, less chance of infection. I just feel so bad for him.'

The animal wasn't bleeding and didn't appear to be frightened, she claimed.

'I know a lot of hunters and I know that was nothing done intentionally,' Ms Darrah told her local paper. 'I'm sure if any hunter saw him, they would have been kind of enough to put him down.'

Ms Darrah spoke to a Fish and Wildlife representative and followed their advice to put out a supply of corn for the deer, which appeared to be travelling in a herd with four others.

The state Division of Fish and Wildlife sent out a crew to the area looking for the deer, and spokesman Bob Considine said earlier this week the department would tranquilize the animal in the hopes of removing the arrow.

Her efforts to help the animal were applauded by her friends on Facebook after she posted the image, taken from her back fence, and many of them expressed their sadness at deer's plight.
She posted on her Facebook page: 'I've been on 'deer watch' since just before 5am. I have NJ Fish and Wildlife alerted.

'I am also sure this was not done intentionally. Any hunters I know would have looked for this deer knowing they missed a clean shot. In addition to that, all the hunters I know, hunt for food.'
.
(Daily Mail - Nov 7, 2013)