Buck Tangled in Christmas Lights
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Buck Gets Rescued After Getting Tangled in Christmas Lights

At least one deer in Oregon decided to get into the Christmas spirit early, but ended up needing a little help from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The buck was frequenting the city of Dallas and managed to come across someone's Christmas display just before Thanksgiving. It's likely the deer was rutting and rubbed its antlers on a tree, ending up with a rack hopelessly entangled in a string of holiday lights.

"To all you Clark Griswolds out there, we know you love decorating for Christmas, but this is a step too far!" said a post on the ODFW's Facebook page.

The ODFW was aware the buck was walking around like a living Christmas tree, but had been unable to locate and help the troubled deer until November 30. They got a tip from the Dallas Police Department on where the buck was hanging out, and officials were able to tranquilize the buck and remove the lights, finally freeing the animal of his burden.

Before they released him, they fitted the buck with ear tags to help with identification. It's unknown exactly how long the buck had been wandering around with the festive display, but several people commented on ODFW's post and noted they had seen him prior to his rescue. At least one woman posted a video of the buck in her yard the week before the ODFW finally encountered him.

The buck was uninjured and after the tranquilizer wore off, he safely went on his way.

The ODFW is using this incident to remind the public that bucks love to rub their antlers on trees and bushes, objects that often get decorated with lights for the holidays. They advise the public to hang their lights up high where bucks cannot get tangled in them.

"Each fall we receive reports of bucks tangled up in volleyball nets, hammocks, and yes, even Christmas lights," the post reads.

Truth be told, the buck would have been free of his festive burden in a month or two when he shed his antlers. However, the lights could have presented an additional danger to the animal if they came loose or got wrapped around the animal's neck. Kudos to the ODFW for the effective rescue of this guy. Maybe they should name him Rudolph now?

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