BY TERRY THOMPSON
A mule deer buck had to be freed by Idaho Fish and Game biologists after it fell into an abandoned water tank on Carbonate Mountain at Hailey’s west end recently.
It is unknown how long the deer had been trapped after falling into the deep concrete storage tank. The tank is thought to have been the water storage tank for the old Hiawatha Hotel in Hailey that was built in the late 1800s.
The tank is approximately 12 feet deep, making the effort to free the deer challenging. The deer could be seen trying to unsuccessfully jump out of the cistern.
Ultimately, the deer was darted with anesthetizing drugs that allowed Fish and Game staff to securely wrap the deer in a sling and safely hoist it out of the deep tank.
Before release, the deer received a green ear tag to indicate it had been darted with anesthetizing drugs and for future identification purposes, and it had its vitals checked. After receiving a clean assessment, the anesthetizing drugs were reversed.
In the end, the deer quickly ran away from the Fish and Game team, with no effects of the fall into the tank.
To see how it happened, check out this video from Idaho Fish and Game.