A helicopter crew with a net gun caught a dozen deer Tuesday at a refuge near Cathlamet where managers fear they'll be flooded by the Columbia River.

The Daily News reports ( http://bit.ly/11jcy8X) the net expanded in mid-air like a Spiderman web and dropped on each deer.

Biologist resorted to the net gun after the deer were too wary to be driven into nets.

Federal Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Doug Zimmer said no deer were killed during the helicopter capture.

It's the latest development in an effort that began in January to move about 50 endangered Columbian white-tailed deer from the Julia Butler-Hansen Refuge where a dike threatens to give way.

About 30 deer have been moved so far to another refuge near Ridgefield.

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com