Cathy of Westbrook heard noises, but never suspected a deer was in her basement!

She did hear a crashing sound in her basement, but thought that a box of books fell over and ignored it. Her two pups were very restless, but she figured they were just itching for a long walk that was overdue because of the freezing weather. This is Gigi and Oala.

Gigi and Oala were trying to tell her that, um, something is in the basement that shouldn't be.

The next night (yes, 24 hours later), Cathy was moving a bookshelf into the basement with a friend and heard a loud crash. But her friend was okay, and it was on the other side of the basement. That's when she saw a little blood and a lot of animal poop. Then a deer popped her head out around the corner and looked straight at them!

The poor deer was scared to death and started thrashing about, so they closed the door, turned off the light, and called around to find out what to do!

That's when Cathy found Scott Lindsay, a deer biologist, and a Maine state warden Steve Milton. They came over and sedated the deer, tagged her ears, put her gently on a tarp, and carefully walked her out the front door.

The Maine warden and biologist were amazing!

Cathy was forever moved by the care of the two men who came to rescue her.

Talking to Cathy about her experience, she wanted to make sure that everyone knew how amazing Steve and Scott were.

I was so impressed with how professional, kind, and gentle these men were. The warden was probably 6-foot-four and built like a linebacker. After Scott had sedated the deer we just waited for about 20 or 30 minutes and it was like we were trying to get a baby to go to sleep. We were whispering, asking questions about each other, trading deer stories. And then I gave Scott a broom, and when he was checking to see if the deer was sedated, he could’ve poked her briskly, but instead, he tapped her gently in a couple of places. So respectful and sweet.

 

How did the deer get into the basement?

What Cathy learned is that deer never go into a house because it’s warm or there’s food; they avoid them. It is more likely that the deer was chased by a coyote or maybe even a dog. The deer had no sign of injury, which might have given a clue.

Steve Milton, the Maine state warden, followed up with Cathy,

We got her to a farm up the road, and about an hour later she was back on her feet.

The deer biologist Scott Lindsay stopped by Cathy's house for the final update. When he went to check on the deer, it was still close to the blanket they left her on. But as he approached it, it bounded into the woods and leapt what looked to be 25 feet!

It's an experience Cathy won't soon forget, but it's the kindness of the biologist and warden that will stay with her the longest.