Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding the public to remove tangle hazards from yards and decorate responsibly as the holiday season approaches.
District Wildlife Managers across the state have been forced to respond to incidents of wildlife caught in various hazards. Most of these cases involve antlered ungulates like deer or elk. Holiday decorations, including Halloween decorations, add an extra element that elk, deer, and moose can unknowingly become tangled up with.
“We see it every year, and it always gets worse this time of year. Right now is a great opportunity to clean up your yard of items a curious animal might stick its nose in or get wrapped up in. And when you’re putting up holiday decorations, keep our wildlife in mind. These impairments can really affect their mobility, vision and ability to eat and drink.” – CPW Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Steve McClung of Durango.
In Evergreen, multiple incidents have occurred this month alone, including a cow elk that got a metal patio chair stuck around its neck and a bull elk with a hammock wrapped around its antlers. In Pagosa Springs, and officer responded to a mule deer that had gotten wire from a tomato cage wrapped around her torso. The wire had begun to cut through her back.
Bucks tend to be especially prone to these types of hazards during this type of year. As the rut continues, bucks rub their antlers on objects to mark their territory. The deer rut has already started and will hit peak in mid-November through December.
To help protect the wildlife, people can make sure they put away summer recreational and landscaping equipment that’s not in use and make sure any holiday lights and decorations are tightly secured wherever hung.
