A yearling mule deer doe got more than she bargained for when she tried walking through a “mud puddle” in a field off of Marsh Creek Road just north of McCammon over Memorial Day weekend. She sank up to her belly and was trapped by the gooey mud… and helpless.

A worried homeowner contacted Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Nick Noll. With wooden boards, a shovel, some rope, and the help of Noll’s 15-year old neighbor Cole Gunter of McCammon, the deer was rescued.

Standing on the boards to prevent sinking, Noll and Gunter secured ropes around the front and hind quarters of the doe.

“Since she was a little gal, I was able to grab the rope in each hand and pull her out of the mud into my lap. Then I carried her onto the bank,” said Noll.

The doe took a moment to recover while her rescuers removed the ropes. Then she jumped up, hopped a fence, and bounced up into the sage brush, apparently no worse for the wear.

Gunter was happy to help Idaho Fish and Game with the rescue effort, saying “I want to ensure a better deer population in Bannock County, so every deer counts!”

“It was definitely a feel good day as a game warden,” Noll remarked. “I started this gig to help wildlife, and I think we literally saved a deer’s life.”