WALKER, Mich. — Some deer in West Michigan are ending up in unusual places and in unusual circumstances this deer hunting season.
From Rudolph who couldn't wait for Christmas to another deer who couldn't get rid of Halloween, it seems deer are running "a-buck."
A buck crashed into a new habitat Thursday morning: A wilderness home décor shop in Walker. He blended in quite well in the "deer décor" section.
"Our deer population does continue to grow and thrive in Michigan," said Rachel Leightner with Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "Right now especially we're in the thick of the rut so deer are really moving and that's why we're seeing an increase of deer-vehicle collisions."
But a deer-window collision was unexpected for the owners of Wilderness Expressions. Bodycam video shows police officers trying to coax the deer out. But after about an hour, the buck let himself out the same way he came in.
A doe in Cascade Township did have to be corralled, however, and freed from a plastic pumpkin stuck on her head - for nearly a week!
"Every one of these dents in this pumpkin is a tree. We witnessed her crash into several trees."
A landscaping crew and firefighters came to her rescue Friday morning while she was wandering a neighborhood.
"It wasn't graceful, but I was able to hold on for dear life until one of them came over and yanked that thing off her head so we're happy she's OK," said Fire Chief Adam Majors with the Cascade Township Fire Department. "We were worried we weren't going to be able to see her again so being animal lovers, we're glad it was a good outcome."
"She was kicking, screaming and he was on the ground holding her tight. A crazy thing you wouldn't expect to see. Kind of an eventful morning," said Adam Boonenberg, the Landscape Sales Manager of Thornapple River Nursery.
Humans can learn a lesson to prevent these reindeer games.
"Maybe at the end of Halloween, it might be a good idea to bring your plastic pumpkins in."
A DNR spokesperson reminds people to be cautious while driving around on the roads because deer will be moving around.
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