USA: From Ginger in Colorado Santas Reindeers better be better than this! === I saw this buck behind our home at sunrise this morning. It was struggling to walk because it had this strand of Christmas lights caught on its right antler and they trail behind it on its right side. I saw it yesterday afternoon and it didnt have these lights on it then. I believe if someone could sedate it and approach it, the light strand could at least be clipped so the strand no longer trips the buck, or maybe the strand could be removed altogether. It is a fairly docile buck, but I realize it is under duress. I dont believe its right hind leg is broken, but have the impression it is somehow strained. Each step is taken with some difficulty because of the tripping effect of the lights. Would it be possible for someone to come and help this buck? I believe it can be saved. I have watched it grow up in the area from being a fawn until now. It tends to take a nap just southeast of our back yard on the north face of a low area. BTW, there is a dead buck nearby that we just noted recently. It has deformed antlers that curled back toward its eyes; might be worth investigating if somehow related to disease or endocrine issues. We do not know the circumstances of its death. I have the impression it was from natural causes vs. coyotes. I will let our neighbors know to be on the look-out for this buck pictured below. It is not moving very quickly. We called the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office and the Fisheries and Wildlife Office. A Sheriffs Deputy arrived first and then the Wildlife Specialist, Travis, came nearly an hour later. It turns out they came not just for this buck, but because another buck got its single antler (only had one) stuck in the fork of an aspen tree in our back yard. I promise, I cannot make this story up!! The buck with the lights on its antlers started attacking this stuck buck for an hour. It was awful to watch, especially as the attacking buck would approach the helpless buck, drop low, and hit its underbelly with its sharp antlers. Meanwhile, the ruckus and attacking bucks loud warrior bellows drew in five other bucks. It seemed like they suddenly arrived from nowhere. They all became very skittish, erratic, and aggressive as well. They closed in in a semi-circle to watch and misbehave (stomp, snort, and demonstratively rub their racks on our trees). At one point after what seemed like an interminable wait, the deputy discussed bringing her AR [15] from her patrol car. But it wasnt needed as Travis arrived. A very tall man, Travis calmly entered our home with a Sawzal (tapered reciprocating power saw) in his hand. It had dried blood on it from prior rescues. Why bother cleaning it, right? He then went out and waved his arms high and yelled like he was yelling at a herd of cattle. His hands were high above his head making him look even bigger in order to scare off the other six bucks. He then managed to sever the stuck bucks antler in mere moments and it was able to run away immediately. Cherry-sized spots of blood were seen on the bark of the aspen after the antler was sawed off. There also was a lot of fur on the ground. The buck had skinned its knees, but seemed otherwise alright. He probably will be stiff and sore for a while, though.... As for the other buck with the lights on it, Travis said he has seen bucks with all sorts of items strung on their antlers, including hammocks, unidentifiable objects, and - frequently in December - Christmas lights. Maybe the buck had broken its hind leg, but Travis believed it was strong and would recover, even if it needed to rely just on three legs. Also, because the buck was strong, Travis thought it would be resourceful and persistent enough to pull the light strand off on its own. We have no idea from where the buck acquired the Christmas lights. Whew - what a morning!
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 10:44:44 +0000
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