A mule deer buck entangled in holiday lights was darted by ODFW wildlife biologists, cleaned up and safely released.
Courtesy of ODFW
Wildlife officials are warning that this time of year wildlife, especially deer, can get tangled up in holiday decorations and other items in your yard.
When bucks are shedding the velvet from their horns they’re often itchy. So they rub up against things, which can cause entanglement.
From fall to mid-winter, deer rub their antlers both to shed velvet and to mark their territory according to wildlife officials.
“It may kind of look silly to see a deer with some lights on its antlers but it could be really really bad for that animal,” said Adam Baylor with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. “It could restrict their breathing, it could block their vision, they couldn’t see. They could get into traffic. Really, they could die from this.”
Baylor suggested putting decorations up high to avoid entanglement, and putting away items like tomato cages and hammocks or other debris that’s not in use.
If you see an entangled buck, don’t approach it. Do contact your local Fish & Wildlife office and they’ll send someone out to help.
Baylor said typically, wildlife workers will dart the animal so it goes to sleep. Then they’ll work to disentangle it and check for injuries.
He said their Central Oregon office has had 113 incidents of distressed wildlife this year. Ninety of them were deer. He said the leading causes are entanglement, vehicle collisions and fence injuries.
For more information about wildlife-friendly fencing, refer to the Guidebook for Wildlife Friendly Fencing.
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Clarification: The story has been updated to state that deer rub their antlers both to shed velvet and to mark their territory from fall to mid-winter.
