Caught in the Wire
Metal wire bit into the young deer’s chest and legs as cars raced down the asphalt just feet away.
The fawn kicked its hind hooves against the dirt embankment, twisting the fencing tighter around its torso.
Its mouth opened wide, letting out a sharp cry while traffic roared past on the open highway.
A utility truck pulled onto the shoulder, and a man wearing a fluorescent yellow safety vest climbed out into the grass.
He dropped to both knees in the dirt beside the trembling animal, keeping his hands low and visible.
Working to Untangle
“It’s okay, I got you,” he murmured, pressing one palm gently against the fawn’s flank to stop its thrashing.
The animal ceased kicking, its chest heaving as the worker evaluated how the woven metal loops pinned each joint.
One galvanized strand curled around the front right leg, locking the hoof in an awkward backward bend.
He gripped the wire with his bare fingers, twisting the rusted joint backward to release tension from the joint.
The fawn let out a soft wheeze and leaned its head sideways against the top rail, watching the man’s hands.
With a firm pry, he slid the wire over the bend of the knee, freeing the upper leg from the grid.
Another worker wearing safety gear knelt down beside them to assist with heavy wire snips.
Together they gripped the tightest loop twisted around the lower belly and clipped through the rusted core.
Finding Its Footing
The severed wire popped open, falling away into the damp grass and dead leaves below.
The man kept his hands under the deer’s chest for another second, supporting its weight as the metal cleared.
He slowly drew his hands back toward his knees, giving the animal open space to stand.
The fawn did not bolt immediately; it planted all four hooves into the soft earth and steadied its balance.
It blinked toward the passing highway traffic, then turned its ears toward the man kneeling silently beside it.
Its nostrils flared as it tested the cold air, shaking dust and loose bits of dried weeds from its coat.
The man remained kneeling motionless in the weeds, his hands resting flat against his denim jeans.
The fawn stepped over the loose strands of wire, moving carefully off the roadside embankment.
It walked up the gentle rise toward the tree line, kicking up dry brown oak leaves with each stride.
At the edge of the woods, it paused among the yellow birch leaves, looked back once, and then trotted deeper into the forest.
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