Reward with Swings Attached

A pair of grandfathers in Arizona are offering a $100 reward for the return of their grandson’s swing.  A bug bull elk got his antlers caught in the swing and took off with it, seat, chains and all.

Here’s the story from AZ Family.com:

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- There is a wanted poster making the rounds in Flagstaff that has many people doing a double-take.

The poster features a picture of an elk with a child's swing tangled in his antlers. The people who made it are offering a $100 reward for the return of their grandson's swing, but it must be attached and knotted to the antlers as shown in the picture.

Perhaps the swing has sentimental value, or they just want it back with the antlers because it would be a good conversation piece.

In any case, it's quite possible the swing could end up back where it came from. But don't worry; the elk will not have to be harmed for that to happen.

According to Shelly Shepherd with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, "We suspect he probably dropped his antlers like all elk do during the spring and he's probably a happy camper now that he doesn't have that extra baggage."

Shepherd said it is legal to go out into the forest and pick up antlers that have been dropped by elk and deer naturally during the springtime.

There is a market for antler sales not only in Arizona but across the United States, according to Shepherd, who offered this advice for antler hunters, "You are going to find more antlers if you get off your ATV or out of your vehicle and actually go hiking to look for antlers."