Buck wandering around Oregon tangled in lights ‘got a head start on decking the halls’
It’s not quite Christmas yet, but a buck caught its antlers in a string of lights in Oregon, wildlife officials said.
The buck was spotted wandering around with the lights tangled in its antlers before Thanksgiving, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
Then Dallas Police Department officers saw the animal on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Wildlife officers said they were able to track down the buck, sedate it and remove the lights. A yellow tag was placed on the buck before releasing it.
“To all you Clark Griswolds out there, we know you love decorating for Christmas but this is a step too far! This buck got a head start on decking the halls,” wildlife officials said.
One person on Facebook said they also spotted the buck with the lights.
“I’m glad he was released from his Rudolph duties!” they wrote on Facebook.
“The deer who stole Christmas,” another person wrote.
Officials advised the public to hang lights higher in trees so bucks can’t reach them. And to take down volleyball nets and hammocks if they aren’t in use because these objects can also get stuck in their antlers.
The animals begin to rub their antlers on trees and bushes in September to get rid of velvet. They also do this in October and mid-December to mark their territory and show dominance, officials said.
They can get objects stuck in their antlers while doing this, officials said.
In some cases, entanglements can become serious for deer because the animal could die, McClatchy News previously reported. It is also extremely stressful for the deer to frantically try freeing itself from whatever it may be wrapped in, wildlife officials said.
Dallas is about 15 miles west of Salem.
This story was originally published December 2, 2022 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Buck wandering around Oregon tangled in lights ‘got a head start on decking the halls’."
