oh, deer me
Iconic deer stolen in The Woodlands: When crime hits close to the master-plannedhome
Hayes' buck was recently stolen at Gosling Road and Creekside Forest Drive.Photo by Edd Hayes
The scene of the crime at FM 1488 and Texas 242 . . . only a bronze leg andpartial hoof remain.Photo by Edd Hayes
Artist Edd Hayes polishes one of his bronze bucks.Courtesy Photo
The street value of a little scrap bronze is not particularly high. But if you have hundred of pounds? Well, that's a different story.
That appears to be what thieves had in mind when they stole two of the distinctive bronze deer statues that mark the entranceways to The Woodlands.
According to Houston's own C&D Scrap Metal (they pay in $2 bills), the scraps of the copper alloy fetch just under $2 per pound, considerably less than pure copper, which goes for nearly twice as much.
"These statues are about four or five hundred pounds," artist Edd Hayes tells CultureMap. "You'd definitely need several people to take them away."
In the wake of the thefts, CultureMap caught up with Edd Hayes, who created the bucolic bronze wildlife for dozens of locations across The Woodlands almost a decade ago.
"One of these large statues are about four or five hundred pounds," Hayes says. "You'd definitely need several people to take them away."
Set into stainless steel platforms with a series of sturdy metal rods, the deer were designed to stay in place. As battery-operated metal saws haves become lighter and easier to maneuver, however, Hayes feels there might be a slight uptick in the stealing of public art.
"People obviously think there's something they can get for these, either for the metal or for the sculptures themselves," he notes, adding that this is not the first time he's seen this type of behavior.
"I've had pieces stolen in Chappell Hill. A few years ago, a doe and a buck of mine were stolen in The Woodlands. Luckily, the Texas Rangers were able to get them back."
While one might be able to view the thefts as a form of flattery, Hayes is none too happy about the stolen deer.
"I find it all a little aggravating, actually," he says. "While [the pieces] haven't necessarily been mine since they went to the Woodlands Development Company, I still hate to see them gone. We put art out there for he public to enjoy . . . Some people just haven't learned not to touch stuff that's not theirs."
While Woodlands Development Company and The Woodland's Sheriff's office were unable to be reached for further details about the bronze deer, the artist notes that each sculpture bears his name on the inside of the back leg.
Please contact the Woodlands Police Department at (281) 297-6500. Additional images of Edd Hayes' deer can be found here.
