Colorado

Christmas lights at risk from horned deer, Colorado warned

Published

1 month ago

December 18, 2024

Christmas lights at risk from horned deer, Colorado warned

This holiday season, festive decorations may be at risk of being ripped down by an surprising culprit.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has warned residents of the state that they are receiving large numbers of calls from people who have had deer getting their antlers tangled up in their Christmas decorations and other yard equipment.

While deer are usually rather clumsy creatures, they become much more erratic and aggression-prone at this time of year, as they are frantically searching for a mate.

“Our wildlife officers respond to calls every year of deer stuck in various netting and holiday decorations,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta said in a statement.

Mule deer buck tangled in Christmas lights. Colorado residents are advised not to hang lights on trees, and ensure they are at least 8 feet above the ground.

Alan Ziff / CPW

Colorado Parks and Wildlife warns residents that male deer may find themselves getting tangled up in swing sets, sports netting, hosepipes, Christmas lights and even bicycles during the rut season.

There are two main types of deer native to Colorado: mule deer and white-tailed deer. The rut of both species typically peaks in mid to late November and can extend into late December in some areas.

During the rut, bucks are highly active and display behaviors aimed at attracting does and establishing dominance over other males. This can include traveling extensively, often during daylight, and also engaging in sparring or even full-blown fights to establish dominance and breeding rights.

This activity is how the male deer end up getting tangled up in things like Christmas lights.

“In some cases, these hazards prevent the deer from being able to eat and breathe. Additionally, this causes high levels of stress on the animal and can lead to fatality,” Archuleta said.

The public is advised to ensure holiday decorations and lights are firmly attached to solid structures, and hung at least eight feet from the ground. Hanging the lights on trees or bushes is discouraged, as the deer often rub their antlers against plants or tree trunks to sharpen them during the rut.

If you encounter a deer that has become tangled or trapped, you should not attempt to free it yourself, as the deer are often increasingly aggressive at this time of year.

“When deer do become entangled, it is important for the public to call their closest CPW office quickly with location information,” Archuleta said.

“People should never try to free deer of these hazards themselves because of the serious risk of injury that can be caused by antlers and hooves.”

Additionally, deer can carry diseases such as chronic wasting disease, tuberculosis and acidosis. This is why it is illegal to feed wild deer in Colorado.

“Attracting deer can concentrate them in small spaces, making disease easier to spread, attracting predators, and causing them to lose their natural fear of people,” the CPW warn on their website.

During the rut, deer may be seen on the roads more frequently, so drivers are also advised to keep an eye out.

“Drivers are also reminded to slow down and be on the lookout for deer on highways. Not only are bucks in pursuit of a mate, but animals are also migrating to winter range and will be more present crossing roadways both on highways and arterial roadways,” the CPW said in the statement.

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Colorado

Game Preview: Oklahoma State Back at Home for Matchup With Colorado

Published

7 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Game Preview: Oklahoma State Back at Home for Matchup With Colorado

Oklahoma State is back at home with a chance to turn things around.

The Cowboys have won only one conference game this season, but it came in Gallagher-Iba Arena, which should give them some optimism in their next matchup. Coming off of a two-game trip to Utah, the Cowboys are desperate to get a win, and it could happen against one of their worst opponents in conference play.

Game Information: Oklahoma State (9-7, 1-4 Big 12) vs. Colorado (9-7, 0-5)

Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. CT

Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena – Stillwater, OK

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Spread: Oklahoma State -3.5

Total Points: Over/Under 145.5 points

Moneyline: Oklahoma State -170, Colorado +142

Over the past week, OSU has been in Utah with matchups against Utah and BYU. The Cowboys got throttled in each matchup but showed a bit of fight in their loss at BYU.

If the Cowboys can right the ship this season, it will have to begin with their matchup against Colorado. The Buffaloes are yet to win a conference game this season, and it is critical for the Cowboys to keep them winless in the Big 12.

Although the Buffaloes have struggled to find success in Big 12 play, they have been close to getting that elusive victory. They lost by only one point at UCF, which was the start of a three-game stretch of single-digit losses it holds coming into Stillwater.

Winning the turnover battle will be key for the Cowboys to come out on top. Colorado has had at least 14 turnovers in all five conference games and has only managed to force more than 11 turnovers in one of those matchups.

For an OSU offense that ranks 15th in points per game in conference play, getting easy scores off of turnovers will be instrumental to getting a win. Colorado has turned it over more than any other Big 12 team, which should fall right into Steve Lutz’s preferred style of forcing turnovers and playing fast.

Stopping Julian Hammond III will also be an important part of OSU’s attack. Hammond has been one of the only consistent scoring options for Colorado, averaging 15 points per game in Big 12 play. Keeping him off the foul line and forcing him into difficult decisions could erode the Buffaloes’ attack early and give OSU a runway to a convincing win.

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Colorado

Snow Blankets Northern Colorado Amid Hazardous Weather Outlook

Published

15 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Snow Blankets Northern Colorado Amid Hazardous Weather Outlook

Snow quickly blanketed parts of Colorado on Friday, January 17, as locals braced for several days of cold weather.

Ricky Bobby captured ongoing snowfall in Loveland on Friday evening.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported increasingly intense snowfall on Saturday, warning of difficult travel conditions at times.

Dangerous cold was expected to follow until Tuesday morning, the NWS said, with temperatures anticipated to reach lows of -15°F in places. Credit: Ricky Bobby via Storyful

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Colorado

Toronto FC makes a deal with Colorado Rapids to add to Robin Fraser's coaching staff

Published

23 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Toronto FC makes a deal with Colorado Rapids to add to Robin Fraser's coaching staff

TORONTO — New head coach Robin Fraser added to his coaching staff Friday with Toronto FC making a deal to pry loose two of his former assistants from the Colorado Rapids.

To get assistant coach Neil Emblen and video coach Jase Kim on board, Toronto sent its first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft to the Rapids. As part of the deal, TFC may receive US$175,000 in general allocation money and retain a sell-on percentage if the pick turns out to be one of the top three in the drafts.

“I’m really happy that we were able to get them,” said Fraser. “I know it comes at a price but I think it’s worthwhile … I do feel like this project needed a fresh kind of feeling. And certainly these are people that I’ve been through a lot with and have a great deal of trust in.”

The two new additions join incumbent goalkeeping coach Simon Eaddy, director of performance Cesar Meylan and performance analyst Peter Galindo.

TFC left Friday for Spain to continue its pre-season preparations.

Emblen has spent the last seven years with Colorado, where he served as both an assistant coach and “the main coaching link to the recruiting department.”

A former defender and midfielder whose playing career stretched from 1987 to 2011, Emblem had stints with Tonbridge Angels, Sittingbourne, Millwall, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Walsall in his native England before moving to the Southern Hemisphere to play for the New Zealand Knights and Waitakere United.

“They still chant his name at Wolves,” said Fraser.

“I love his character. I love his enthusiasm for the game,” he added. “He’s a very good coach.”

Emblen coached Waitakere to three straight New Zealand league titles between 2010 and 2012. He managed New Zealand at the 2012 London Olympics before serving two matches as New Zealand’s interim head coach in 2014.

Kim joined Colorado in January 2018 as a first-team video analyst after serving first as a performance analyst and then head performance analyst for the New Zealand national team. Kim was also part of the New Zealand technical staff at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

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