Young Buck Tangled In Hammock Roams Fair Oaks Neighborhood; Rescue Mission Underway

FAIR OAKS (CBS13) — A young deer is tangled up in a big problem. Rescuers tracking the buck that got a hammock stuck on his head.

The deer is roaming the wooded area of a Fair Oaks neighborhood next to Lake Natoma.

"He has been sleeping here in the evening, likes to stroll in around eight. And he takes off around 10 a.m.," said Joanna Davis, who's been watching for the deer.

Davis and Troy Kay have a great vantage point from their deck.

"It's really wound around with various strings and perhaps cords and maybe even metal," Kay said.

They've spotted the so-called "hammock buck" several times and can tell he's struggling.

"He looked really tired like he's gone through a lot," Davis said.

READ: Roseville Cyclist Neilson Powless Impresses At Tour de France

Rescuers said the hammock on his head poses problems during mating season when it might get tangled with another buck. But helping him is no simple process.

"We called the sheriff's department who put us in contact with 311 and from there it was animal control," Davis said.

Then came a local rescue group, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, which has been tracking the buck with trail cameras and keeping an eye on his every move. But the Department of Fish and Wildlife will authorize and perform the actual capture. It's up to neighbors to call the authorities as soon as they notice the buck laying down or staying in the same place for a while.

Get our news app: Download the updated CBS Sacramento News app for iOS and Android

"I think everybody wants a happy ending for this creature. He's beautiful, magnificent," Davis said. "Everyone's invested."

The advice from rescue groups is that people should never approach deer in distress like this, it's very dangerous especially if it involves a buck.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is required to authorize a rescue if the deer is more than a year old.