Deerly distracted: Chisago County deputy finds fawn stirring up trouble in vehicle
Caught in the act. This fawn my look incident, but the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office says it caused a stir in a pickup truck on Thursday night. (Image provided)
CHISAGO COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Chisago County Sheriff’s Deputy who pulled over a driver for suspected impaired driving Thursday evening identified an unexpected culprit: an unruly baby fawn.
The deer was in the front seat of the pickup truck and had begun misbehaving and jumping around, distracting the driver as the vehicle approached Oasis Road and 310th Street just before 8 p.m., according to Capt. Derek Anklan, the head of the sheriff’s office’s Patrol Division.
Anklan said the driver was from Wisconsin and was taking the deer to see a veterinarian. He promised to pick up the deer’s crate at the vet’s office for the return trip. Wisconsin, like Minnesota, only allows residents to keep deer as registered farm animals. As the deer had a collar, the deputy determined it was not suspicious, and allowed the driver to continue on his trip, Anklan said.
Anklan said the incident was unusual, but that deputies often run across odd circumstances in the course of their jobs.
"We're out there patrolling the roads, trying to make them safer, looking for distracted, impaired driving. But, you know, there's times where we come across something like this, that of course, is a safety issue, but you can't help but see the humor in it, because it's a little ridiculous," he said.
Anklan said the deputy did not learn the deer’s name.
"It's the last thing you'd expect to see looking up at you, this cute little fawn. Like, hi!" he added.