Discovery of Walter the deer’s antler brings Pullman hunt to a close

A monthslong saga involving a white-tailed deer, his unfortunate entanglement with a hammock and the hunt for his purple-laden shed has finally come to a close.

Walter, as the deer was affectionately nicknamed, was a sight to behold as he traipsed around Pullman following a run in with a backyard hammock last September.

Large portions of the violet fabric remained attached to his right antler until the young buck shed it in February. During those five months, Walter grew a global fan base, while also being the subject of many calls to the Pullman Police Department.

The police department, which freed Walter from his backyard booby trap, had to inform many a concerned resident of the crimson and gray city that the rival-colored fabric did not impede the deer’s quality of life, he’d eventually drop it as all white-tailed deer do – and that Walter was not the victim of frat-boy high jinks, as Code Enforcement Officer Kayla Loop said last month.

The treasure lost to the Palouse winter was found Wednesday, said Judy Willington, founder of a Facebook account serving as Walter’s official fan page.

Willington said the tattered remnants of the hammock were still attached, although time and the elements have faded the fabric into a more appropriate mix of mauve, lavender and plum.

Dave Gibney, fellow Pullman resident, spotted the antler while out for a walk near Reaney Park, home to the Lentil Festival. He’s noticed Walter in his neighborhood from time to time after first spotting him in his yard last fall.

“I didn’t know it was a hammock,” Gibney said. “When I first saw him, I called him into the police too, and they told me they knew about him. Frankly, I thought it looked like a Husky jacket.”

In what may have been a sign of a peace offering after taunting Washington State University Cougar fans with their in-state rival’s colors, Walter left the antler lying near the foot of the iconic steps running from Reaney Park up the hill to the university.

Gibney uploaded some photos of the antler laying in the grass, then posted them to much acclaim in the Facebook group. While a bit vague about the location, Gibney gathered up the antler and left it on his front porch for Willington to find.

“I was so happy that he reached out to us, and that he was able to get it to me,” Willington said. “I kind of like the way that he did the pictures, but didn’t say anything about it. It kind of was, I don’t know what to call it, like a treasure map or something.”

Gibney, a retired longtime IT specialist at the university, said it made perfect sense to pass it on to Willington.

She’s a big supporter of Walter, founded the Facebook group and has a plan for the antler and it’s remaining fabric.

“I don’t have a great use for a little fork and horn antler,” Gibney said.

“I knew she wanted it, so why not?”

Willington will mount the antler above her porch, complete with a sign declaring the locale “Walter’s Place.” The good news spread like wildfire through her Facebook group Wednesday, as Walter fans near and far reveled in Gibney’s kindness and Willington’s joy.

“It’ll be fun to just keep on watching and seeing how the rest of the adventure unfolds, when those new antlers grow in,” Willington said. “And watching how big they grow, and how many times he’ll still come back and visit.

“But I sure hope he doesn’t find another hammock.”