PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has confirmed another deer death in the Palm Harbor area.
According to multiple neighbors in Lansbrook, a deceased doe was discovered on the morning of Dec. 25 with a wound that did not appear to be natural or caused by a collision with a car.
The FWC said three deer have been found dead in that area — near East Lake High School — in roughly a month.
Neighbors have stated that one was found dead in a yard on Siena Ln. on Dec. 5. The buck had an arrow lodged in its side.
An arrow was not found in the doe discovered dead on Dec. 25, but the carcass had both an entry and exit wound. It was also found in a yard on Siena Ln.
“I think it’s awfully coincidental to have two dead deer on the same street in the same subdivision within 20 days,” said one neighbor, who spoke under condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “What’s concerning to me about it is we have a repeat of what went on last summer.”
In July 2021, four deer were found injured by crossbow arrows in the same area, including a fawn that later died as a result of its injuries.
"It's horrifying to see an animal walking around with an arrow through its neck. It's disturbing, very disturbing," one neighbor, Nancy Bloch, said at the time.
FWC investigated the incidents and offered a $2,500 reward. Now, the agency is also investigating the latest deaths.
Wednesday, FWC Officer Forest Rothchild said the deer found dead on Dec. 25 was seen, noted, and documented by FWC. While the nature of death doesn’t appear to match some of the previous cases, Rothchild said the incident will be part of the overall investigation.
He said the agency is trying to increase its presence in the area and patrol the neighborhood more.
Lexie Vanderweit, a local animal rescuer, hopes the agency will figure out what’s happening to the deer.
“This is a neighborhood. This is not a large hunting area. This is not a large wooded area. This is a family-oriented neighborhood,” she said. “This is wildlife cruelty, and we need to get to the bottom of it.”
Meanwhile, the FWC encourages the public to report any sightings or any information regarding the incidents or any others by calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or texting your location and any information to 847411 (Tip411).
Tips can also be submitted online; CLICK HERE.
According to the FWC, reports can be made anonymously.
