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CASH Courier > 2005 Spring Issue

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The C.A.S.H. Courier

THE 16 REMAINING WATER WORKS DEER HAVE A NEW HOME!

For those who don’t recall the article about the plight of the Minneapolis Waterworks Deer, written by Laura Hutchinson and Kelly Faris of the Coalition to Save Our Deer, please see this article in the Spring 2004 issue of the C.A.S.H. Courier.

Briefly, Laura wrote that for decades deer had roamed the property where the 78-acre Minneapolis Waterworks-Columbia Heights facility now stands. At one time, the property was a dense forest known as Peck’s woods. However, as the first-ring Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights grew the area became more urbanized. Though the Waterworks property eventually became fenced-off, the gates remained open allowing the deer and other wildlife to freely come and go. It wasn’t until the events of September 11, 2001 that the Waterworks gates were locked, causing 14 deer to become trapped inside. For the past several years, this herd has been fenced inside the area with no means of escape and allowed to multiply.

Over the years, watching the Waterworks deer had been a source of pleasure for the residents who live around the facility, which is today completely surrounded by homes, a senior housing complex and an elementary school. These residents had enjoyed feeding the deer and getting to know their different personalities. The deer, meanwhile, had become tamer as they came to trust the residents. On December 31, 2003 that trust was betrayed when a group of 11 bow hunters and their field-dressing entourage were allowed to enter the Waterworks facility and shatter this peaceful neighborhood.



Photos by Laura Hutchinson – the plaque reads: In Memory of the MWW Deer, December 31, 2003

From the time the neighborhood residents heard about the plan to bow-hunt the deer, the community had been fighting for the transfer of the deer to Lee Greeley’s Minnesota Wildlife Connection Center.

C.A.S.H. doesn’t often hear success stories in these instances, but we were happy to learn on February 10, 2005 that the remaining deer were successfully transferred! Aside from the community activists, two special people made it possible: Gary Tanks, whose roundup techniques and custom designed van made safe transportation possible; and Lee Greenly, whose Minnesota preserve provides a safe haven for the deer.

The following account of the transfer, which can serve as a model for other communities, was written by Elaine Fealy who describes herself as the “gramma who lived across from the Waterworks Deer” and loved them.

On February 2, 2005, the 16 deer who had not been killed by bow-hunters were transported safely out of the water works facility located in Columbia Heights to Lee Greenly’s Minnesota Wildlife Connection in Sandstone, MN. It was a relatively quick and safe transport. The DNR, the Humane Society of Golden Valley, the Mpls. Water Works and other "officials" who stated with confidence that deer could not be safely and humanely transported WERE shown to be DEAD WRONG! They had filled our newspapers and task force meetings with horror stories of high mortality rates, traumatized deer with broken legs, punctured by each others racks, and a prediction of the deer dying within a week after arriving at their new destination. Obviously, they never learned the secret of transporting deer safely and humanely and never bothered to try. I have heard they really did not want the deer to be successfully transported because they would lose their excuse for killing more deer.

Those three naysaying entitites observed the process. There were no fatalities and no injuries, and the deer are now free and safe.

Elaine wrote on 2/10/05:

I am in Hinckley, Mn. just nine miles from the deer. Yesterday I spent three hours visiting them. Lee Greenly took me out on his all terrain vehicle and we circled the entire area that our deer are in. It’s clear that our deer are well-fed, happy and running free. They have been viewed a great deal since they arrived at their new home. A couple of days ago, some folks from Texas came up to see our beautiful deer. They had heard about them on the radio while riding in their vehicle.

They have a favorite hill now and they have two or three natural, spring fed ponds and a large area to roam and chow down. When they decide to run, they are not running for their lives, or running because a truck is chasing them....they are running free with lots of room to do it in.

Bob is still King. He stood atop a ridge and looked at me and my camera as if to say; "Tell those folks who helped us that we are free and safe and happy now, and we thank them for all they did for us." As I looked over our deer, I realized once again how many "trophy" deer we have in that collection. Folks visiting for the first time are also amazed.

There are huge stacks of hay available to the deer whenever they choose. They are fed supplemental, enriched and healthy food on a regular basis to maintain their health. They are safe from predators and have become accustomed to that mystical, awesome and haunting howl of the wolves who are also residents of the preserve.

Gary Tank and Lee Greenly brought us out of the dark ages. Killing is not the only or even the best solution for deer.

Gary Tank —Did the amazing roundup and transport. He can be reached for future projects at: 218-746-3900--Cell # 218-851-2093. His email is mrdeer@brainerd.net.

Lee Greenly can be contacted at: 320-245-2017, The Minnesota. Wildlife Connection,-1894 Old Military Rd. Sandstone, MN 55072. His email is: mnwildlife@pinenet.com.

If you helped in this successful venture...be proud! If you tried to stop us from accomplishing our goal, learn from your mistakes and open your minds and hearts to a new way. If you have been entrusted with protecting our natural resources or preventing cruelty to animals, then do the job we pay you to do.

The citizens, with the help of Rep. Barbara Goodwin caused the DNR to turn authority over these deer to the Animal Board of Health. Now certain laws need to change so there is no longer conflict with the old laws that would have prevented this move.

Hooray for Rep. Barbara Goodwin! Her Bills will make it possible to assure that the deer can live out their lives in peace at no cost to any taxpayer. The deer will be permanently out of the water works and they can concentrate on security. Please support Rep. Goodwin’s Bills—H.F. 421 allows for exhibition of deer “for public benefit” and H.F. 457 allows for transportation of deer.

BREAKING NEWS:

Elaine wrote on March 6:

Barb Goodwin just called me. She asked me to send an e-mail to all you guys. Send it to everyone you know. She has been working with the Deputy Attorney General's office and some others and --. As of April 1st, Lee Greenly can have pictures taken of our deer and be paid for it, they can have babies (propagate) and they will be totally under the control of The Board of Animal Health. As of April 1st, the DNR will no longer have ANY control over those deer.

She also said to tell you there is no longer any need to pass legislation....we have won!..She is still in session at the Capitol, but she wanted you to know right away.

Elaine said that, unbelievably, in its permit (granted only under extreme political pressure) to allow the deer to go to Lee Greenly’s center, the DNR inserted restrictive language prohibiting the deer from being photographed at the preserve. Photographing the deer would make it possible for the deer to provide an income for their own food and upkeep. Our deer would be displayed in Sports magazines, videos, perhaps movies. As citizens concerned for the deer we would rather see the deer in popular magazines than to follow the blood trails through the water works woods to a massive pool of blood where that poor creature died. That is what happened on December 31, 2003. We would rather proudly show our children pictures of our beautiful deer in a magazine than to try to explain why they had to die and where all the blood came from.”

Although the nightmare is over, Elaine wants people to know the true story of the Minneapolis Water Works deer. She writes: As an animal person, you might like to read it so you understand the nature of the DNR and the other agencies and organizations who wanted the deer to die.

I have lived directly across the street from these deer for 49 years and my father before me. Most people don't know what we put up with after 9-11-2001 when the deer were locked inside and the cruelties committed by those charged with protecting them.

Fact: Deer have resided inside the Columbia Heights Water Works for more than 50 years. The children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of these residents have grown up with these deer. They are like family.

Fact: There were deer that roamed freely in the fields surrounding the water works long before any fence was put up. Children shared the fruit from their lunches with these deer. The deer used to wear yellow, green and red ribbons around their necks. They must not have been too wild (as claimed by the Department of Natural Resources) How do you walk up to a wild deer and place a ribbon around its neck or share your lunch? Children played ball in the same fields with these deer.

Fact: The residents of Columbia Heights, the water works employees, the police and fire and numerous visitors shared a peaceful coexistence with these deer.

Fact: September 11, 2001 changed us all. We had to protect our water supply from terrorists and so the fence around the water works was completed and secured. As a result of that day, the deer inside the water works were locked in and could not get out. We were advised that there was insufficient food for the number of deer. The agencies began a cry throughout the land: “The deer are starving, the deer are starving...we must kill them!”

To solve the problem of insufficient food for the deer, the citizens began a feeding program. They raised money through garage sales, private donations and the pennies of children and elderly citizens who stopped by to see the deer. The water works officials, members of the police department and certain members of the fire department harassed those feeding the deer. They threatened those concerned citizens with fines and even jail for violating the sign posted-”Feeding of wildlife prohibited.” These agencies did nothing about the starving deer and promised to prosecute those who cared enough to feed them anyway.

In fact the only time the DNR fed the deer was just prior to the day they killed them. On December 31, 2003 the agencies charged with protecting our “natural resources” (the deer) sent bow hunters into the water works and 36 deer were slaughtered. It was a terrible day and the taxpayers are still paying for that costly and inhumane solution. They broke their word to the people that they would give them until March of 2004 to make a decision on the deer. They power-fed (baited) the deer for more than a week over in the corner of the water works next to Highland Elementary School. The day of the kill, they put up an orange fence to keep them in a small “target” area so the bow hunters could kill them easily. Deer that managed to escape were herded back to the kill zone by squad cars. (I thought “herding” of deer was illegal....or does that only apply to ordinary citizens?) These deer are surrounded by private homes and a grade school. This was an atrocity that will not soon be forgotten, but it taught our children about authority agencies and how very little the people have to say about their policies.

Fact: Once again concerned citizens took up the cause of the remaining deer. They organized, continued to feed the deer, and they offered humane solutions. The agencies continued that same response: “The deer are starving-kill the deer!”

Once again, the citizens rallied around the deer against great odds. They began feeding the deer with supplemental, nutritionally enriched deer chow. They also gave them a variety of fruits and vegetables which were donated daily by a local merchant who also believed that deer locked inside a fence should not starve. The deer came to the fence nightly to eat and the crowds grew.

None of the named agencies (The DNR, The Humane Society of Golden Valley or the Minneapolis Water Works) fed these “starving, suffering” (their words) deer. What was their reaction? They continued to threaten and harass those feeding the deer at the fence; they wrote a special warning letter and distributed it at a Task Force meeting to the citizens warning them that when they discovered the identification of the market that was providing the free fruits and vegetables, they would prosecute them to the full limit of the law. Apparently they found a way to make that act of kindness a crime under the garbage and littering laws. It didn’t stop. The market and the citizens just went further underground to protect their deer.

Fact: Concerned citizens continued feeding and the harassment began at full speed. The waterworks employees--trucks, police squad cars and vans and other numerous vehicles drove over the top of the food--back and forth several times a day.

In the summertime the lawn mower would run back and forth over the food for the deer even though he quite often did not mow the remainder of the field. They did it in full view of the people watching and were captured on video and camera. The only part of the waterworks that was always neatly mowed and groomed was that path next to the fence where the deer were fed.

One night our representative, Barbara Goodwin, saw a squad car and a police van run over the food and was shocked. We snapped some pictures of that night.

Then the worst abuse and cruelty of all began. In below zero weather when food is even more important to these deer, the boldest cruelty began. During the week of January 9, 2005, when the deer came to feed at dusk, water works trucks would drive toward the deer with headlights and a spotlight shining to drive them away from the food. The neighbors filmed this atrocity on video and regular camera. An eyewitness was parked right in front of the deer feeding and saw this. They drove them away several times a night and each time they drove over the food that citizens had paid for. The deer were not permitted to eat for three days during that below zero weather.

Fact: The citizens through generous offers of financial help have provided a cost free solution for the water works and these deer. The deer have been tortured long enough and the citizens who have tried to help have been terrorized long enough. We’re greatful it’s over. Elaine Fealy—“Gramma across the street from the deer for the past 50 years.”

The following are photos of the capture.






Photos by Gary Tank, printed with permission.


Finally at Lee Greenly’s place: a photo of the deer running free at last! Photo by Elaine Fealy, printed with permission

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