“We have had six or seven deer reported in the last few weeks seen with an arrow hanging out of them,” said Chief Randy Dixon of Morgan’s Point Police Department.
Authorities will not tolerate cruelty to the animals, Dixon said, and he asks the public to help them track down the culprits.
“If you see anyone within the city limits with a bow and arrow we are asking that you call 911 immediately,” he said.
“They are not shooting trophy-size deer. They are shooting does and the yearlings and smaller deer. They’re not doing it for the meat,” he said. “It seems they are just shooting the arrows and seeing where they are going to go.”
That is another concern to the police chief.
The fact that there are people out there just shooting random arrows could easily lead to a human or pet being injured.
“An arrow can go through a window and strike someone. There are dogs, small children and even adults that could get struck by an arrow,” he said, “And we really don’t want that happening.”
Dixon said hunting is one thing, but cruelty to animals in this fashion is something else. “You have to wonder what kind of person is doing this.”
At this stage there have been few clues as to who is attempting to harm the deer.
“I have received calls with sightings of animals with arrows and just received an e-mail from a resident that saw a man sitting in the back of a pickup with a bow and arrow,” he said.
Parks and Wildlife officials usually look after deer but hunting season has their resources stretched at the large game parks, leaving it up to local law enforcement.
“We are just basically trying to concentrate patrols on the area where we know the deer are heavily populated,” Dixon said. “We are trying to find deer that have been harmed, too.
“If the deer has been incapacitated and suffering we euthanize them,” Dixon said.
People caught poaching can face up to a two-year state jail sentence and could face animal cruelty charges.
