Wildlife Officers Urge Larimer, Weld County Residents to Remove Yard Hazards as Deer Rutting Season Peaks

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are urging Northern Colorado residents to remove potential entanglement hazards from their properties and secure holiday decorations as mule deer enter their peak breeding season, following multiple recent wildlife rescue incidents across the state.

District Wildlife Managers have responded to numerous cases of antlered ungulates caught in garden equipment, recreational items and holiday decorations throughout October, including incidents in Evergreen, Pagosa Springs and other Colorado communities. The entanglements have involved items ranging from hammocks and metal patio chairs to tomato cages and Halloween decorations.

"We see it every year, and it always gets worse this time of year," said CPW Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Steve McClung. "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."

The mule deer rut begins in early November and peaks mid-to-late November, continuing through early December, according to CPW's Big Game Action Plan. During this breeding season, bucks become highly territorial and focused on mating, increasing their movements across yards, fences and urban areas while aggressively sparring with rivals.

Recent Incidents Demonstrate Widespread Problem

CPW officers in Evergreen responded to multiple entanglement incidents in October, including a cow elk with a metal patio chair stuck around its neck and a bull elk with a hammock wrapped in its antlers.

In Pagosa Springs, wildlife officer Nate Martinez recently tracked down a mule deer doe with wire from a tomato cage wrapped around her torso that had begun cutting through her back.

"After eluding officers for several days, thanks to the help of many concerned neighbors, we were able to track her down, sedate her and cut off the wire ring from the tomato cage," Martinez said.

Bucks are especially prone to entanglement during the rut when they rub their antlers on objects to mark territory and signal their presence to other bucks. The aggressive sparring and raking behavior often results in males catching antlers in fences, swings, sports nets, wire and holiday decorations.

Stress and Exhaustion Can Prove Fatal

When animals such as deer and elk become entangled, stress and physical exhaustion caused by trying to break free can lead to death, according to CPW.

Wildlife officers can often get deer untangled if they are nearby and notified quickly. In some cases, they cut off the animal's antlers to free it. In other instances, they can remove the object without sedating the animal.

Some cases do not require human assistance if the entanglement is not preventing the animal from eating or drinking or if there is low risk that the animal could get caught up in other items. In those instances, the animal will be free of the burden when it sheds its antlers naturally between late winter and early spring.

"We need to know about these situations quickly," McClung said. "It's best if we can get to these animals before they've undergone too much stress and have exhausted themselves. Darting them also creates stress and can lead to mortality if the animal has already been stressed too much."

If an animal is not tethered to what it is tangled in, it can be difficult to chase them through a neighborhood and get into position to dart them, or sometimes they disappear before officers can provide assistance, according to McClung.

Halloween Decorations Create Growing Hazard

Halloween decorations have grown in popularity in recent years, leading to increased wildlife entanglement incidents, according to CPW.

The agency recommends holiday lights and decorations be placed higher than six feet or attached tightly to trees and buildings. Lights or artificial webs that hang low or are draped insecurely over vegetation easily get tangled in antlers.

"Deer are curious and want to check out something that's hanging along their path or a bucket to see if it's food," McClung said. "They may stick their nose in and get those objects stuck around their face or get the handle caught on an antler."

Residents should put away summer recreational and landscaping equipment that is not in use and make sure holiday lights and decorations are secured tightly wherever they are hung, according to CPW.

Reporting Procedures and Contact Information

Residents who see entangled wildlife should report it directly to CPW by calling the Fort Collins office at 970-472-4300 during business hours, which run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both Larimer and Weld County residents use this contact number.

For after-hours emergencies, residents should call Colorado State Patrol dispatch at 303-239-4501. CSP maintains communications around the clock and relays emergency calls to on-call CPW wildlife officers throughout Northern Colorado.

When calling, residents should be prepared with information regarding the animal's location and time observed, its behavior, whether it is tied to an object or still mobile, and if the hazard is preventing the animal from eating, drinking or breathing.

Residents should never try to free an animal from an entanglement themselves. A stressed animal may act more aggressively and their hooves and antlers can cause serious injury, according to CPW.

Rutting Season Increases Aggression Risks

During the fall breeding season, it is important to give antlered wildlife more space and use increased caution in their presence. During the rut, these animals have a one-track mind looking for a mate and can become agitated if any other animal, object or person appears to be posing a challenge.

Dogs are often targets and can be badly injured by a buck's antlers. Deer can become aggressive toward humans as well, with attacks reported around the state each fall.

Deer regularly found in neighborhoods may appear docile and not pay much attention to the presence of humans much of the year but may behave more aggressively during rutting season, according to CPW.

The elk rut occurs earlier, beginning in September and peaking in mid-to-late September before tapering off in early October. Both species become less wary of humans during breeding season and react aggressively to perceived threats.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is an enterprise agency that relies primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations. The agency manages 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, and contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.