It’s pretty normal to see deer strolling through Kiowa resident Lori Burrell’s yard. The herds come and go throughout the fall and winter seasons. But one day, one particular buck caught Burrell’s eye.

On Jan. 14 Burrell saw something glimmering in the sunlight off the buck’s antlers, and once she took a closer look, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

“There were Christmas lights tangled on the buck’s antlers,” she said. “I have no idea where they came from, but someone is missing some lights.”

The buck was in a group with two other males and about 30 females. Once the buck got close enough to the house, Burrell was able to get within 8 feet to take a photo. She said after seeing the deer on a daily basis, the animals are familiar with her and the husband.

“I wasn’t nervous to get that close because they are used to us stepping out and saying hi or speaking to them,” she said. “We were actually pretty struck at how hansom he was. But we haven’t seen him since.”

Burrell said living in the rolling hills near Kiowa means sharing space with wildlife. She says it’s entertaining to watch the deer. But there is one place she wished the deer would steer clear of — her garden.

“We have always been respectful of them and not tried to scare them,” she said. “But they have gotten into the garden and I was in a tomato war with them one year. They ended up eating all the tomatoes before I got any. This year I have to put up a fence around the garden.”