Deputy, trooper stun elk to free it from fence

[September 12, 2009]  HARRISBURG, Ore. (AP) -- Normally, if you're close enough to use a stun gun on a bull elk, you might be too close. But it worked out well for a Linn County sheriff's deputy and an Oregon State Police trooper faced with a dilemma.

They responded Thursday to a call near Harrisburg about a big elk whose antlers had become entangled in a barbed wire fence, pinning its head in place.

They contacted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for advice and all parties agreed it would take too long for a wildlife agent to respond and tranquilize the animal.

So the two devised their own plan: the deputy used a Taser stun gun on the elk for about 25 seconds while the trooper cut it free. According to a sheriff's office statement, the animal then ran off without any sign of ill effects.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com/

[Associated Press]

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