Like any law enforcement career, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden's day can be unpredictable.

It is unlikely that Warden Casey Prell got to the office recently and thought, "well, I better go out in the field and find a bighorn sheep tangled in a barbed wire fence mess." But that is part of what his day entailed, and it was fortunate that Casey got there when he did.

Warden Prell works the state's Region 7 in southeastern Montana. Montana FWP posted on their Facebook page details of the warden being dispatched to aid a bighorn sheep tangled up in a four-strand barbed wire fence. The ram had apparently been caught up in the fence for a lengthy period of time and was close to complete exhaustion and death.

Warden Prell  was able to cut the ram lose from the fence. But it was not as easy as just watching it run off to safety. He needed to roll the ram over onto its chest and keep it in a bedded-down position. He stayed with the ram until dark, then came back the following morning.

Upon his return, Casey was able to get the ram to stand up. Undoubtedly, the bighorn was in a very defensive mood and could have seen the warden as a threat. But Warden Prell continued to patiently monitor its safety. He basically herded the animal, by hazing him through fence openings and eventually to a water source. That is where the ram started to show improvement.

Throughout the rest of the day while the fence was being mended, Warden Prell continued to check on the ram's improvement and recovery. While we have no final diagnoses or check-up to share, it sounds like the ram will be just fine.

When you're a Montana game warden, just another day at the office, right?

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