Rocker Ted Nugent Puts Up Reward To Find Person Injuring Deer

EAST LAKE, FL — Famed rocker and well-known bow hunter Ted Nugent is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person who's been shooting deer with arrows in East Lake.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating after four deer were found shot with arrows in the Lansbrook neighborhood.

Lansbrook residents Lexie Vanderweit and Nancy Bloch have been distributing flyers by hand and posting them on Facebook sites, seeking the person who has been shooting the deer and leaving them to suffer.

Disturbing photos taken by residents show a doe with an arrow completely piercing her neck. Other photos taken by residents show two does with arrows through their back legs.

On Wednesday, Vanderweit notified her neighbors that a fawn spotted in the area two days before had been found dead.

"It is with a heavy heart we must tell you all, our dear sweet fawn was found this afternoon, dead, not far from where it was first spotted two nights ago, arrow still piercing its abdomen. I'm so sorry we were unable to find it and save it from the idiot who shot it," she said in a Facebook post.

"Somebody knows something and must report it," she said. "If they are shooting deer on purpose, who are they going to shoot when they miss? Your pets? Your child? Or you?"

Her pleas caught the attention of Nugent, who added $5,000 to the $2,500 reward being offered by the FWC and $6,000 raised by residents through a GoFundMe campaign set up in conjunction with the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center.

"Like everybody with a conscience and a soul and any intellect at all, we are aghast and we are angry and we want to hold the guilty vandals accountable," Nugent said in an interview with Fox 13 News Tampa Bay.

Nugent, who lives part-time in Naples, added on his Facebook page that true hunters would never leave an animal to suffer.

"These punks are vandals that have nothing to do with hunting," Nugent said.

Residents throughout the area have been donating as well.

"I donated because what has been happening to the deer, adult or young deer, is as cruel as it gets," said donor Bonnie Stubbins. "The deer are not target practice and, whomever you are, may karma find you quickly."

FWC rangers are searching for the other injured deer and investigating sightings from residents.

"All together the reward is over $13,000," Vanderweit said. "Let's get this person caught and arrested."

Anyone with information is asked to call the FWC tip line at 888-404-3922.