Holiday cheer and deer: Lights, decorations can leave bucks tangled up
Published 7:14 am Thursday, December 5, 2024
- A mule deer buck entangled in wire was darted by ODFW wildlife biologists, cleaned up and safely released.
Plastic or inflatable reindeer and bright lights are a common holiday combination, but outdoor decorations can pose a danger for actual deer.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is urging residents to take precautions with their holiday displays — and with other outdoor items such as volleyball nets and tomato cages — to avoid buck deer getting things tangled in their antlers.
“Deer entanglement is a growing concern in Oregon,” according to a press release from ODFW.
The agency recommends residents place lights and other holiday decorations at least eight feet above the ground to reduce the risk.
“Holiday lights are particularly problematic along with hammocks, dog lines, tomato cages, and volleyball or soccer nets,” the press release states. “Decorations hung from trees or decks can also pose a threat if they are within reach of bucks.”
Although bucks are particularly prone to rubbing their antlers on trees and any other handy object during the summer, when they shed the velvet that covers the antlers, they also rub their antlers to mark their territory during the breeding season, which continues into mid-December.
“While it can be amusing to see a deer running around with lights in its antlers, entanglements can have serious consequences for deer,” said Mikayla Bivona, ODFW assistant wildlife biologist in Prineville. “Entanglements can obstruct their vision, hinder their ability to eat and drink, and even restrict their breathing. By keeping your yard deer-friendly, you can reduce the number of entanglements as well as the number of calls to our offices to untangle deer. It’s not always possible to capture these deer, so prevention is key.”
According to ODFW, agency employees in Central Oregon have responded to 90 calls about deer this year, and entanglement is one of the leading reasons.
(Vehicle collisions and injuries from fences are others.)
Tips for installing deer-friendly fencing are available at dfw.state.or.us/news/docs/2024/fencing-manual-no-marks.pdf
“While it can be amusing to see a deer running around with lights in its antlers, entanglements can have serious consequences for deer. Entanglements can obstruct their vision, hinder their ability to eat and drink, and even restrict their breathing.”
– Mikayla Bivona, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
