Stolen deer head returned to Quad

a painting was briefly stolen from Wilcox Hall

Burns explained that a former Quad officer notified him Sunday morning about the deer’s disappearance.

“I e-mailed the Interclub Council and all the club presidents that our deer head was missing … and that I wanted it returned within 48 hours,” Burns said, adding that the trophy was donated by a Quad alum.

“I don’t think [the thief was from] one of the eating clubs, but I thought [notifying the presidents] would get the message out very quickly to a lot of people,” Burns explained.

Late Monday night, the deer head was returned to Quad’s back balcony, Burns said. He added that a former Quad officer sent him a text message informing him of its return.

Burns explained that he set a deadline of 48 hours for the trophy’s return before he would notify the Borough police. Since the head was returned within that time frame, the police were never contacted, he added.

The deer head is currently locked in the house manager’s office, Burns said, adding that it is normally mounted on the wall in Quad’s poolroom, across from a moose head, “which is sort of the mascot of Quad.”

“[The moose head] was stolen a couple of years ago and then returned,” Burns noted. “It is now secured. There is no way anyone is going to get it off [the wall].”

Burns explained that he does not think the theft was perpetrated by one person. The trophy is mounted high on the wall and is also very large. “I think [the animal] is a six-point buck,” Burns said. He added that the club will likely secure the deer as it did the moose.

Burns said he appreciated the assistance of the other clubs’ presidents who e-mailed their members and helped search for the deer head. “The big message is for people to respect the property of Quad and of all the eating clubs on the Street,” Burns explained.

“We can put pressure on our peers to do the right thing, even if they did the wrong thing,” he added. “And that’s a great thing about Princeton.”