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.”
