JACKSON, Wyo. — What’s a wildlife watcher to do in the event of an encounter like this?
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer spotted an elk with some kind of netting tangled in its antlers earlier this week in the Sagebrush Drive area. The team notified the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) so the agency could look into it.
WGFD Public Information and Education Specialist Raegin Akhtar said that in these situations, WGFD personnel assess animals to determine whether their health is being impacted, especially if they’re restricted in their ability to eat and/or move. Sometimes these cases resolve themselves, like when a deer sheds its antlers and thus sheds the tangled material.
“In cases where entanglement does hinder an animal’s movement, personnel will dart the animal to immobilize them while the material is removed,” Akhtar said in an email to Buckrail.
Akhtar said this situation serves as a nudge to be mindful of residential impediments to roving animals.
“This is a good reminder that elk, moose and deer actively rub their antlers on trees, shrubs and other objects in the fall while trying to remove velvet,” Akhtar said. “It is not uncommon for us to receive calls of animals entangled in nets, lights, hammocks or wire. With increased wildlife activity, it is important for residents to make sure properties are free of materials that could become entangled in antlers.”
Anyone who sees something similar can call WGFD’s Jackson regional office at (307) 733-2321. Outside of business hours, call WGFD’s Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP. Akhtar said the closest available biologist or game warden will be dispatched to assist.
