The Missoula Christmas Buck

We have heard all about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. But do you recall the most famous Christmas deer of all? He may not have a shiny nose or be able to fly. But, he sure is all about showing off his Christmas spirit.

Our pal, "The Captain" of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, shared with us a photo from Rod Dietz of Missoula. Rod discovered a trophy whitetail buck in his yard. Dietz told MORS "A visitor to my backyard today.   There were others but this one is unique because of his Christmas Spirit!."

According to an article from the Missoulian, the urban deer population is skyrocketing

Modeling shows that Missoula has an estimated 3,000 deer, including those in areas such as Grant Creek and the South Hills, said Mack Long, with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Council members wanted to know what an ideal population is, but Long said it’s more of a social question about how many deer – and how much damage to shrubbery – people are willing to tolerate.

As handsome as the "Christmas Deer" looks with his light display, Im sure some homeowners are getting tired of these hoodlums tearing things down or ripping things up.

According to the Missoulian article

some people want to see the deer in their yard eradicated, but their neighbors can’t bear the idea of anyone hurting the ungulates. But he said the deer always have been in Missoula, and the problem isn’t new.