PROVIDENCE, Utah — Utah Division of Wildlife officers freed a young mule deer from a dog collar someone had placed around its neck.
This happened Thursday near the town of Providence in Cache County.
The officers had to wait several hours to get close enough to hit the two-year-old buck with a tranquilizer dart.
They were then able to remove the collar and released the deer in Providence Canyon.
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According to a Facebook post, the collar was placed on the deer’s neck when it was younger.
During the late fall breeding season, known as “the rut,” necks on mule deer bucks swell to almost twice their normal size. There’s a good chance the buck would have died this fall as the dog collar would have restricted his esophagus and windpipe, and made it impossible for him to eat or breathe.
The post reminds people that it’s illegal to take live deer and other wildlife out of the wild in Utah.
If anyone has information about this incident, you’re encouraged to contact the DWR here.
