Hilton Head deer with a bucket on its head at risk of heart attack. How experts might help

It’s likely the deer with a bucket stuck on its head last seen in Hilton Head Plantation on Wednesday has freed itself, according to the plantation’s general manager Peter Kristian.

Kristian said Thursday there have been no sightings of the deer since Wednesday. And no bucket has been found.

“We are making the assumption it resolved the issue itself,” Kristian said.

Kristian said previously that the S.C. Department of Natural Resources advised residents not to approach the animal. The department told Kristian Wednesday the best course of action was to wait to see if the deer could free its head on its own.

There are three ways to handle a deer in this sort of predicament, according to Jessica Kelly, who works for Critter Management Inc, a Hilton Head wildlife management and animal control company.

▪  The deer could be tranquilized and the bucket removed.

▪  The deer could be left alone to remove the bucket on its own.

▪  The deer could be killed if it’s a threat to others, Kelly said.

She said Critter Management was in Hilton Head Plantation Wednesday looking for the animal, though workers never saw it.

“We would like to tranquilize the deer,” Kelly said. “But we’d have to go through DNR.”

David Lucas, a S.C. DNR spokesperson, said any company considering helping the deer should call DNR to get the department’s advice before taking any action.

Both Lucas and Kelly said a deer with a bucket on its head is not a common situation, but resolving it is important.

“When something like that happens to a deer, it gives them anxiety,” Kelly said. “Just like any other animal, they can have a heart attack. It could die just from the stress because it can’t see.”

There are no indications the deer in Hilton Head Plantation died.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Hilton Head deer with a bucket on its head at risk of heart attack. How experts might help."