AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, residents in the Great Hills neighborhood said seeing deer in the area is normal but seeing injured deer is not.
Meagan Coon said on Nov. 7 that all changed.
"Everyone stopped to see if we could do something," said Coon, who lives in the neighborhood. "The fact of the matter is it's not really an option to grab hold of a deer."
Coon said she called 311 and was told there was nothing they could do for a deer that's mobile.
Then, a couple of days later, Coon said she saw a post on her neighborhood's Nextdoor app, showing a different deer with an arrow in its shoulder.
According to a city ordinance, a person may not knowingly shoot, kill or hunt a wild animal or use a trap that could injure an animal or person.
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"The possibility does exist there is legal hunting going on nearby, and that deer didn’t go down like they thought," said wildlife enforcement Assistant Commander Stormy King.
King said without knowing where the injured deer are coming from there is nothing authorities can do.
"If they shot the deer at night, it’s a Class A misdemeanor," said King. "If they shot the deer with use of an artificial light, that’s a misdemeanor. If they shot on private land without permission, that’s a felony. "
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He added that, without evidence, it's hard to know if these things were done legally or illegally.
Deer hunting season is over in January and Texas Parks and Wildlife is asking you to keep an eye out for anyone hunting in city limits.
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