Men save deer trapped on ice near Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Minn. (KMSP) - Sportsmen turned into saviors for one deer found trapped out on an iced over lake near Evansville, Minn.

On Monday morning, Jamie Englund was out snow plowing in Evansville when he heard there was a young deer trapped on an icy lake about five miles north of the city. Englund reached out to the game warden in the area, but did not get an immediate response.

After checking out the lake and seeing the deer stranded, Englund and about five other men gathered together to help get the deer off the ice. 

Englund and another man got into a small boat and pushed themselves out onto the ice. Englund tested out his cowboy skills and lassoed the young buck's antlers on his second try. The men on the shore then reeled in the boat and brought the deer to shore, where it was able to walk away.

Englund says his group looked for tracks, but didn't find any, so they believe the deer may have been out on the ice overnight.

He says he had just gone deer hunting recently, but he didn't think twice about not saving the young buck.

“We are all sportsmen – I’d do it again tomorrow," he said. "Coyotes would have gotten to it. Gave the deer another chance.”