Deer Pierced By Arrow In Nevada City

NEVADA CITY (CBS13) — August 21 was the start of archery season for deer hunting in some parts of the region, and already, there are multiple reports of injured deer.

A woman in Nevada City who wished to remain anonymous saw a deer with an arrow through its side Saturday night out her window—and two coyotes closing in.

"Once he jumped out of the backyard—the day I saw him with the arrow—the coyotes were circling him again and he was just stomping around trying to scare them away," she said.

She immediately contacted authorities and a game warden went out. Although it's archery season in that area, the buck is on private property—making hunting there illegal.

"It just depends on if you have legal access to that private property," one wildlife official said.

Wildlife rescuers this past weekend received calls about five different injured bucks in three areas—Nevada, Placer and El Dorado counties. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is now investigating who shot them and where.

"I think a high probability that it may be an act of a person poaching and trespassing on private property or, as it's been reported, a person shooting a deer from the road," the wildlife official said.

Shooting either a bow and arrow or a gun from a public roadway is illegal anywhere at any time. Wildlife experts say the bucks can survive the injury.

"The arrow usually works its way out on its own. Obviously, it's going to be very painful for this animal," the Department of Fish and Wildlife official said.

In the meantime, the Nevada City woman will be on the lookout for the buck who came back Sunday night.

"I put water out for them when we had the heatwave because they are here all the time, and I did after I saw him injured again," she said. "I just hope he is OK."

It's a misdemeanor-level offense. Each of those carries a maximum of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine