First time for everything

[YosemiteBen]

I do not know about all of you primitive skills enthusiasts but this is a first for me! September 7th there was a commotion in the Indian Village here in Yosemite. I took a closer look and saw that El Foldo was stuck in an oak tree. He had gotten about a half inch branch wrapped around both antlers in the middle of shedding his velvet!  He was stuck and jumping around like a sword fish on the end of a line!  I finally got him to calm down and told him I would help him get loose.  After he took a minute to breathe he lowered his head and backed out and the branch just slid right off. He then headed for the next bush.  I also watched him eat his velvet off as it hung from his beams and off of the shrubs.  I did manage to get a small piece of it that came off during his wrestling match with the tree.  I usually see them in velvet and then after the velvet but this is the first time for during the removal of the velvet.

[seabass]

cool pics.i am glad it had a happy ending.here in the east they say apple orchards are the biggest killers of young bucks.they get caught in the thick branches tring to eat the apples.

[Pat B]

Cool pics, Ben.  Let the rut begin! 

[stickbender]

     Neat pictures!  Lucky timing.  He looks like a nice one!  The little four point
here, has finally got all of his velvet off, but for a while he looked like he was wearing
dreadlocks!
Glad he was able to  get untangled.  What does :El Foldo" mean?
I take it he is somewhat of a pet?

                                                          Wayne

[YosemiteBen]

@Wayne - naw he aint a pet - he does spend a lot of time around the museum and has for years. If you look at his right ear it had a cyst or something and is now permanently folded in half.

[stickbender]

     Ahhhh, the old folded ear...... ="el Foldo".......
ok, thanks.  Here I thought I was going to expand my Spanish vocabulary.....

                                                        Wayne