BUCK RESCUED FROM CULVERT IN THE SPRINGS

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spent Wednesday rescuing a buck forced into a culvert while sparring the night before with another male deer.

After more than four hours and multiple rescue attempts near Piñon Valley Park in northeast Colorado Springs, state wildlife officials escorted the buck across Centennial Boulevard into an open field, “which was no small feat,” said Bill Vogrin, Parks and Wildlife spokesman.

State wildlife officials were called about the buck Tuesday night. Vogrin said the officers did not respond immediately because they wanted to “give it a chance to get out on its own.”

But the deer was unable to get up the steep concrete walls of the culvert and remained trapped Wednesday morning, so District Wildlife Manager Corey Adler and intern Brianna Fett decided to tranquilize it and pull it out.

Later the groggy buck went back into culvert. This time, officers lassoed the buck and pulled him out of the culvert.

The rescue was deemed a success, until the buck from the previous night’s fight returned to “finish him off,” Vogrin said.

The officers monitored the two bucks to keep them apart.