He鈥檚 sporting a tarp, an innertube, and windchimes now but he鈥檚 the same frisky fellow from last year.

Cowichan Lake鈥檚 famous bull elk, formerly known as Line Dancer for his amazing head gear, has returned with a new collection for fall 2017, according to Denis Martel of Wilderness Watch.

Now, he鈥檚 being called Tuber by folks who鈥檝e seen him.

鈥淲e saw him yesterday [Sept. 20]. We were so fortunate to see him with his harem. He鈥檚 doing quite well. And he does have an adornment of articles on his antlers. He鈥檚 got what looks like an innertube up there, he鈥檚 also got a tarp that he鈥檚 run into, and he鈥檚 also got some windchimes at last count. He鈥檚 into everything. It鈥檚 amazing what they do,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y granddaughter videotaped another bull while they were out camping and that bull was flipping logs around because he was feeling his oats.鈥�

Because the elk are in their rutting season right now, they are edgy and willing to fight to preserve their territory and harem of cows so don鈥檛 try to get close to a bull.

鈥淭hey can move faster than you can. You鈥檇 have to get out of the bush, then get around your truck, and then get in. He鈥檚 got you before you even get there,鈥� Martel said.

But Tuber, despite his new look, is apparently in good shape.

鈥淗e鈥檚 out there. When we saw him, he had four to six cows with him, that he鈥檚 gathered together as his harem.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not in any danger at all. He鈥檚 eating well. When we saw him, he鈥檇 just finished eating and was bedding down and was chewing his cud. He saw us and wasn鈥檛 panicked because we were no threat. I forgot my bugle so I had whacked a stump. Then he stood up. It is the same one we had last year.鈥�

Tranquilizing this elk is not an option, according to Martel.

鈥淭his guy already had a yellow tag in him; he鈥檚 already been tranquilized once. He鈥檚 in no big danger; that stuff is not impeding his vision or his ability to eat or to walk, so those three things mean that he doesn鈥檛 have to be tranquilized.鈥�

And at this time of year, that鈥檚 important.

鈥淚f you dart him now, with the stress that he鈥檚 under because of the rut, because he鈥檚 24 hours a day on alert, fighting and whatever else he鈥檚 done, you may find yourself with a dead elk. He may not revive himself. If you give them a tranquilizing dart, sometimes they鈥檙e so down they just can鈥檛 come back.鈥�

Martel said that years back he saw that happen when a conservation officer from Nanaimo had to dart a bull elk.

鈥淗e [the conservation officer] cupped his hands right over top of the elk鈥檚 nose and was giving him nose-to-mouth resuscitation. He tried and tried and tried but, no way, he was gone. It was so sad. We had to do it because he was all hooked up. He would have died from starvation had we not freed him. He had been tromping through people鈥檚 yards and whatever.鈥�

Martel urged anyone living in an area where elk might pass by to clean up obstacles from your yard.

鈥淚f you鈥檝e got garden meshes that are still up, or tennis or badminton nets, tubes on the beach or anything like that that they can run into at night, please put them away,鈥� he said.

Martel said he鈥檇 seen one Youbou homeowner who had a tennis net across their driveway all summer to keep people from coming through.

鈥淚 mentioned it to [conservation officer Sgt.] Scott Norris and he said he鈥檇 talk to the people. I went by there this week and it was gone. That was so nice of those people. If there are people out there who have done this, I thank them from the bottom of my heart because it means one less elk that鈥檚 susceptible to having traumatic problems through the rut,鈥� he said.