Bruiser, Whidbey Island’s lone elk, has a tarp tangled in his antlers. (Lindsey George)

Bruiser, Whidbey Island’s lone elk, has a tarp tangled in his antlers. (Lindsey George)

Whidbey’s lone elk is tangled up in blue

It’s happened repeatedly since the intrepid bull elk swam to Whidbey Island in September 2012.

By Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News Group

A popular resident of North Whidbey is tangled up in blue.

A blue tarp, that is.

Bruiser, the sole elk inhabitant of Whidbey Island, has once again gotten something wrapped up in his antlers. It’s happened repeatedly since the intrepid bull elk swam to Whidbey Island in September 2012, according to Ralph Downes, an enforcement officer with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Lindsey George, a teacher at Oak Harbor Intermediate School, spotted Bruiser’s predicament and got photos on the night of Feb. 26. She lives in the Strawberry Point neighborhood and sees him about once a week.

George said she is worried about the elk with the tarp wrapped in his large antlers. Bruiser kept flipping his head, pawing at the ground and making grunting noises. Sometimes the tarp blocked his vision. She was able to get within 20 yards.

“He seemed to be stressed out,” she said.

Over the years, Bruiser has been seen with a horse blanket, lawn ornaments, barbed wire, electric fence ribbon and bicycles stuck in his antlers.

“My favorite was a pink bicycle,” Downes said.

Two years ago, Fish and Wildlife officers had to tranquilize Bruiser to remove a swing of thick rope with a mooring buoy. Downes said they will only do that as a last resort because of the danger tranquilizers pose to ruminants, including elk.

Downes isn’t too concerned with the latest entanglement. He expects that the bull elk will retreat to the woods, where the tarp will get caught up in branches and eventually be pulled off.

Downes explained that Bruiser’s antlers are getting heavy this time of year and he is trying to hasten the shedding process. The antlers should fall off within the next month, he said.

“It’s the time of year he can’t resist,” he said. “He keeps putting them in silly places.”

Besides the annual snarl, life is pretty good for the lone elk, Downes said. While being confined to an island is not quite captivity, Bruiser doesn’t have to face any of the dangers that shorten bull elk’s lives in the wilderness, not the least of which is fighting with other males. Cars are his only predator.

Many Whidbey residents, however, have more existential concerns for Bruiser. They worry that he’s lonely and suggest that he should be moved off the island or a companion brought in.

But Downes points out that the natural life of male elks in the wild can be somewhat solitary, so Bruiser’s existence may not be that out of the ordinary. It’s during the rut when elk become more social and he may be craving companionship.

The elk’s antlers will continue to grow bigger and more grand each year, Downes said, until they reach a plateau and then regress. Bruiser could live as long as 20 years, he said.

As for George, she continues to keep an eye out for Bruiser, as other residents do the same. She said they share sightings and stories through the Nextdoor app.

Her students will also be considering Bruiser and his blue tarp. George said she’s going to show her class photos she took and have them write narrative essays on how they think the tarp got stuck in his antlers.

This story originally appeared in the Whidbey News-Times, a sibling paper of The Daily Herald.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Community Transit saw a 17% jump in ridership from 2023 to 2024. Photo courtesy of Community Transit.
Snohomish County transit agencies seeking comments on planning docs

Community Transit and Everett Transit are preparing documents that lay out a path for future service and infrastructure improvments.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen talks with Volunteers of America leadership to discuss the consequences of the federal cuts on Monday, June 30, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Federal cuts to LGBTQ+ youth hotline to hit Everett center

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, visited the call center Monday to discuss impacts of the cuts, including longer wait times and staff layoffs.

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, right, goes over a Chinook Marsh Project map with Snohomish County Surface Water Management’s Michael Rustay, left, and Erik Stockdale, center, at the project site on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County receives $10 million grant for floodplain management

The state Department of Ecology funding will go toward 13 projects across the county working to restore habitat and support climate resiliency.

The Washington state Capitol. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
These Washington laws take effect July 1

Fee hikes for hunting and fishing licenses, workplace protections for immigrants and… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.