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EVERGREEN, Colo. (KDVR) — Another week and another incident of wildlife in Colorado getting entangled in outdoor equipment.

This time, two bucks were entangled in a badminton net on Tuesday. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers said that by the time they arrived, one buck worked itself free. Another had to be sedated for wildlife officers to help remove the entanglement.

These entanglements have an obvious effect on the animals themselves, but officials said this kind of incident impacts people, too.

“The officers tranquilized that buck so they could go hands-on with it,” said CPW spokesperson Jason Clay, who pointed out that sedated animals “can wake at any time.”

It didn’t happen in this case, but if an animal were to come to, that’s potentially 300 pounds of wild deer with sharp antlers that could pose a threat to wildlife officers.

Clay said these kinds of incidents start to pick up in the fall because of migrations and mating season.

When entanglement occurs, Clay said the animal might get a trim.

“Sometimes they cut off the antlers. That’s a common practice,” Clay said. But it’s not unheard of that the animal could die if they aren’t attended to.

Another impact to catching and tranquilizing these animals is on hunters.

CPW said when an animal has to be sedated for whatever reason, its meat can not be harvested for two weeks.

Other incidents of entangled wildlife

One FOX31 viewer sent photo of a buck near Clear Sky Elementary with rope caught in its antlers. CPW said officers are still working to track it down.

On Oct. 24 at a golf course, a 5×5 bull elk got caught in rope that is used to section off a green on the course. It took several wildlife officers nine minutes to set the bull free.

Last month, a non-typical elk had to be rescued after it became entangled in a child’s swing near Evergreen.

Things wildlife have become entangled in

  • Tricycles
  • Tires
  • Garden cages
  • Clothes lines
  • Plastic fencing
  • Lawn chairs
  • Playground equipment
  • Soccer nets
  • Christmas lights

Helpful tips for keeping wildlife from getting entangled

  • CPW recommends people put away volleyball and badminton nets if you aren’t using them
  • Place lights and other decorations above six feet or attached tightly to trees and buildings
  • Lights that hang low or that are draped insecurely over vegetation can get tangled easily in antlers
  • Report any wildlife entanglement immediately and don’t try to intervene by yourself

Residents on the Front Range can call CPW’s Denver office at 303-291-7227 to report entangled wildlife, or if elsewhere in the state, they can look up their local CPW office. If it is after hours when offices are closed, residents are asked to call Colorado State Patrol at 303-239-4501 and ask for the on-call wildlife officer.