Buck found wandering Colorado with Christmas lights around its antlers, photos show

As you take down holiday lights, you may want to be mindful of deer and other animals.

A buck was found wandering around Colorado with a large green blob on its antlers that turned out to be a string of Christmas lights, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.

The string of lights were found wrapped tightly around the buck’s antlers in Jefferson County, located west of Denver, Parks and Wildlife officials said Wednesday, Jan. 5.

“Wildlife Officer Joe Nicholson was able to tranquilize the buck Wednesday morning and free it of the lights,” Parks and Wildlife officials said on Twitter. “Please be mindful and remove any tangle hazards from your property.”

This isn’t the first time a buck has been found in Colorado tangled in holiday lights. Another buck was spotted draped in colorful Christmas bulbs in November.

Deer can often become so focused on finding a mate during the winter months that they become tangled in Christmas lights and other hanging objects, Colorado wildlife officials said.

Bucks will also rub their antlers on trees or posts, wildlife officials said.

“The big bucks have arrived at lower elevations for rutting season,” wildlife officials said in November. “It happens to coincide with the same time people are stringing up holiday lights.”

In some cases, entanglements can become serious for the deer because the animal could die.

It is also extremely stressful for the deer to frantically try freeing itself from whatever it may be wrapped in, wildlife officials said.

“Oftentimes we go through heroic efforts to save the animal, but sometimes we can’t save them,” wildlife officer Casey Westbrook said in a Nov. 4 news release.

Wildlife officials said hanging outdoor Christmas lights and decorations above 6 feet can help reduce the likelihood of animals getting tangled. Additionally, hanging lights should be tightly secured to trees and buildings.

This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Buck found wandering Colorado with Christmas lights around its antlers, photos show."