Ready or not, the holiday season is just about upon us once again. Time to enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey and start sending your holiday greeting cards. As you dig your Christmas lights and decorations out of the garage or basement we’d like to remind you, especially if you live in one of our wilderness cities, to take care to decorate with wildlife needs in mind.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer, Jennifer Churchill, said that every year the situation happens where a member of our wildlife community gets caught in tennis or soccer nets, or sometimes a trampoline, and often our larger deer and elk get tangled in holiday lights.

When we watch these “adventures” on YouTube, they can seem quite funny, but in reality, such episodes often result in broken limbs and even death.

“Last year, there was an elk calf caught in a trampoline in Evergreen,” said Jennifer. “If you watch the video you’ll see that its legs kept slipping out from under it. Eventually, the elk got out, but this kind of stress can kill, or, if the animal breaks a leg and we’re called in, then we’re forced to put the animal down.”

Luckily, in the case of the trampoline elk, the calf survived and went off with its family.

As you’re getting ready for the winter, please remember to look around your yard and address these common needs:

• Cover spas and take down sporting equipment including nets and strings, swings from swing sets, hammocks, and rope ladders from tree houses
• Put tomato cages and wire trellises from the vegetable garden into a shed or garage. The same goes for chicken wire objects.
• Decorate at a “higher level.” Buck deer are known to rub their antlers indiscriminately, so try to hang your holiday lights at least five to five and one half feet off the ground. Avoid stringing lights in bushes and shrubs.

“I know that most people I talk to, truly care about wildlife,” said Jennifer. “The trick is to appreciate it from afar and make good decisions. Close interaction with wild animals may seem exciting, but it teaches wildlife bad habits and really endangers everyone.” Jennifer suggested that when you’re done clearing your yard of obstacles for our wild friends, a trip to the zoo would let you interact in an appropriate manner.

And here’s a quick reminder. Denver Zoo Lights begin this year on December 5^th and go through January 4, 2015.

There are also safe and fun ways to interact with wildlife this time of year, from the safety of your home. Here are a few suggestions for creating a wonderful holiday season with the creatures who may visit your yard:

• Popcorn and Cranberry strings – Use natural fiber thread and string cranberries in alternating patterns with pieces of popped popcorn (the popcorn should be free of butter, salt and other additives). You can put the strings in an evergreen outside your picture window and enjoy watching birds and squirrels dig in to a holiday feast.
• Indian corn bundles can be made by drilling holes through the widest part of the ears and then tie a few together with jute or other natural string and hang off a post or in a tree. Again, the birds, squirrels and small wildlife will appreciate your efforts.
• Use half of a grapefruit or orange peel to create a birdseed dish. Cut the fruit in half. Clean out the flesh and enjoy a healthy snack. Pour birdseed into the peel and poke three or four holes around the circumference of the peel near the “lip.” Put string through the holes and again, hang where you can enjoy watching the wildlife near you.
• It’s plain and simple, but so important to every living creature. Be sure to keep your birdbaths and other dishes cleaned out of ice and filled with water every few days. The wildlife will be thanking you for weeks to come.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has more great treat ideas online, so this could be the year you enjoy a wild (but safe) time for the holidays.

(Photo by Rob Lee)