Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but here goes. Stopped at my buddy the vet's office yesterday. He showed me a pic he had just taken, of two bucks locked up on a little island, in his pond back on the farm. The smaller one was dead, but the big one was still trying to free himself. I told Doc I'd help him try to separate the two over lunch, if he was gonna give it a try. Doc calls me about 11:30 am and says meet him at the pond at noon. Got there and besides Doc and me, his son and one of his buddies were there, too. Yep, buck was still on the island hopelessly locked up with the dead one.





They had a small jon boat, and after looking at the boat, I decided we didn't need three of us in there, and capsize it wrestling with the two bucks!

Doc and his son, who is in his mid thirties, took off in the boat with a sawzall and a splitting mall. I stayed on the bank and took pics[not the best quality], and his buddy went around the other side to shoot a video of what was about to happen.





As they got close the big buck went ape schitt, dragging the dead one around and hit the water. Adam trie to smack the rack with the flat side of the splitting mall. He hit them several times with a loud whack, but they wouldn't budge, and he almost did a full gainer right into the pond!




The buck kept swimming and kicking, in the water, trying to get away. Finally, exhausted and half drowned, he kept still long enough, for them to get up beside them and using the saw, the cut the little dead buck's rack.





In an instant the big buck stood up and hi tailed it out of the pond! I couldn't get a pic of him leaving, but they got it on the video. I clapped and who rahhed for a minute! The buck will live to see another day!!

In 62 plus yrs., and doing a lot of outdoor things all over the country, and Africa, I never saw anything as inspiring as getting him loose. I hadn't been in much of a mood to deer hunt this year, but that little episode has got me all fired up for our gun season in 10 days. The boys got back to the bank, and Adam was plum wore out fighting with that buck. Between the four of us, we have killed over 350 whitetails, and to the man, none of us had ever done anything like this. Made me proud.

Please excuse the photo quality as I was trying to take those pics at 100 yds. without a tripod.


maddog

That is awesome - props to all involved!
And, thank you for sharing that!

My daughter posted a video on facebook of some pheasant hunters freeing a buck that was locked up with a dead one. I had no luck getting it off facebook so that I could post it here. Maybe I can get her to send me a link. miles

Well done! That'll make for an exciting day...

Great deal MD. Seen them fighting many times but never had the chance to separate any. Found some locked up after they died.
Anybody doing this needs to be careful. Them boys are tough.
BG

In talking to Doc, after the rodeo was over, he said the buck had palmated antlers, which may have contributed to the locked horns. We don't know for sure but the bigger buck either broke the smaller ones neck or drowned him. We figured they were hooked up most of the previous night.


maddog

That's awesome I'm very proud of you all.

+1

Well done, would love to see the video if that's an option...

Hope he wasn't too stressed out, but nothing could be done about that.

Good for all of those involved. I'd be more inclined to strecth them out branding style, and do the work with all four its legs restrained. Still they got it done.

If I get a copy of the video, I'll post a link, or the video itself.


maddog

Waiting for the video.

Not a put down on your friend but as a vet didn't he know someone who had a tranquillizer dart gun?

Without a dart gun, I'd have got hold of the dead deer to pull them back to shore. Then try trying the live deers legs, then knock it down to cut the horns.

I know, it's Monday morning quarterbacking. Just how I think I might have approched it.

No time to find a dart gun. Yeah, you needed to be there. No way for two guys to handle the live buck on dry ground, without somebody getting seriously hurt. Once the got the buck tuckered out in the water, it was relatively easy to knock a piece of horn off the dead buck, and free the live one.


maddog

Glad it turned out. Kind of proves the point that it's not always all about the kill.

Here is a link to the video. I just watched it myself.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lm8Pll3CTc



maddog

That is pretty cool.

Dad got a little 6 pointer out of a fence the buck had got tangled up with. Since the deer's back legs weren't working very well, he was still there when a neighbor came along and shot him. Dad wasn't real happy with the neighbor at that point, but he got over it.

Good neighbors are harder to come up with, than another deer, in Missouri.

Dad was lucky he didn't get the crap kicked out of him when he was "helping" that deer.

Glad they got him loose.

If it were me, I would shoot an antler with an accurate rifle, preferably taking out a main beam, and allow the buck to break free on his own. Much safer for everyone involved.

Excellent! Loved the video. Awesome. I just showed it to my wife...and asked her: Now, how can I love watching that and feel glad for the buck, but still love to go out and shoot whitetails for meat??? Although, whenever I take a whitetail, and know that I'm going to eat this meat that God made, I have a reverence for the animal and a sense of thankfulness.

DeerDad