Buck Gets Tangled In Sports Net, Colorado Parks And Wildlife Warns Of Holiday Lights Entanglement

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are once again reminding people to take down their sports nets and other materials that can pose a risk to wild animals. The reminder comes after officers rescued a buck from a large net on Thursday.

Wildlife officers helped the animal that was "frantically" thrashing to get free from a sports net in a Manitou Springs park. Video CPW shared on Twitter shows the deer tangled in the netting that it had ripped from the steel goal posts. Officer were able to subdue the buck with a stunning device and cut it free "in a 10-minute ordeal."

This is not an isolated incident, CPW explained on Twitter, and it will happen more during the holidays with strings of lights and other decorations.

"Please be a good neighbor to our wildlife friends," CPW tweeted. "Holiday lights don't look so pretty wrapped around the eyes, mouth and antlers of deer."

In a series of tweets, CPW shared pictures of other rescued deer tangled in netting. Wildlife experts said such incidents can turn deadly.

"Hammocks are another common item that snare deer," CPW said on Twitter. "They can fight to exhaustion and death trying to get free."

Colorado residents are asked to remove their hammocks, swings, game nets, hanging lights, tomato cages, even kids' bikes and similar items from their yards. Wildlife experts say wandering bucks are prone to getting tangled in backyard items.

Also, mule deer are now entering their mating season — known as 'the rut' which runs to about mid-December. CPW urges everyone to be careful around deer, especially bucks, as they can act aggressively this time of year.

"Bucks have a one-track mind at this time of year - they want to mate," CPW shared in a news release. "So they can become agitated if any other animal, object or person appears to be posing a challenge. Dogs are often targets and they can be badly injured by a buck's antlers."

For more information about Colorado wildlife, visit cpw.state.co.us.