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Kelowna  

Netted by tangled web

A mule deer thought it was giving the ‘ole what for’ when thrashing about Friday morning.

However the animal mistook a volleyball net for a bush.

According to Conservation Officer Ken Owens as it is currently mule deer mating season, bucks can be found increasing their display of dominance.

“Bucks display dominance by violently thrashing the bushes with their antlers,” he explained.

During breeding season, known as the rut, bucks may become more unpredictable as they compete for the right to breed.

The mule deer had to be tranquilized by officers in order to remove the net from its antlers.

The buck was then marked by the Conservation Officer Service and released back into its environment. 

“The public is reminded as this deer was tranquilized it has subsequently been marked and it is not safe for human consumption at this time,” said Owens. 

The marking of the deer will also serve to assist Conservation Officers to combat urban poaching. 

The buck helped by Owens wasn’t the only deer to get into trouble this week. A Kelowna resident living in the upper Mission came across a deer hanging out in the backyard with Halloween cotton spiderwebs on its antlers.

This deer scampered off to carry on its early trick-or-treating at another location.

If you observe poaching contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) toll free tip line 1-877-952-7277 that allows you to report known or suspected violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws anonymously and without risk of confronting the offender.


 



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