Two buck locked antlers, what do you do?

[fr0sty]

If you are hunting and come across two buck locked up. What is considered the sporting thing to do? Do you shoot one and then have someone in your party shoot the other? What if you hunt solo? Shoot one and try and unhook the other? Call the dnr?

Curious as to what others think the sporting thing to do is.

[sticknstring]

Hard to say unless put in the situation, but on paper I'd definitely do whatever I could to free them as long as I thought the deer were healthy enough to survive and chances of me getting injured were low. If the buck(s) were exhausted to the point of not surviving, I'd make the call to get an officer and carcass tags.

[Jameson]

If you are hunting and come across two buck locked up. What is considered the sporting thing to do?...

Help to unlock the antlers and hunt them two bucks a different day.

Me, I'm shooting one or both if I'm party hunting. If only one is dead I'd try to shoot the antlers or do something to free the living one.

[Musky Buck]

Hey Frosty, I'd consider myself lucky enough to have 2 mature bucks in my area. Since yearlings never or I guess I haven't seen yearling bucks locked, no need to worry in 2 of my 4 areas. As cool as it might be to come across, I wouldn't be happy about it and you'd have to assess the situation at hand and use your common sense to do what's right. 1. either suffering ? 2. Keep yourself safe. 3. Likely call a CO. 4. etc. I can see why you're worried Frosty, that caribou buck would be a lock to get locked for sure !

[fr0sty]

He, he Sadly, no one has seen that old goat since last fall.

Hey Frosty, I'd consider myself lucky enough to have 2 mature bucks in my area. Since yearlings never or I guess I haven't seen yearling bucks locked, no need to worry in 2 of my 4 areas. As cool as it might be to come across, I wouldn't be happy about it and you'd have to assess the situation at hand and use your common sense to do what's right. 1. either suffering ? 2. Keep yourself safe. 3. Likely call a CO. 4. etc. I can see why you're worried Frosty, that caribou buck would be a lock to get locked for sure !

[96trigger]

I agree with Stick, it would really depend on the condition of the deer, whatever the case, I would try not lose track of them and get help. Saving both deer would be my #1 priority, sticking one of them would be tempting, but my personal belief is that it is unsportsmanlike. However, I wouldn't condemn someone that did, I can understand the appeal of it. Killing one of them or both of them while locked would be a last resort for me, but I would do it if the animals were too far gone to survive and I had the approval of the DNR.

Interesting question.

[Musky Buck]

Hey Frosty what a phantom buck he is, no 1 has ever seen him from a stand correct ? I never got 1 picture of him on trailcam but you have like 3 years worth of him, don't be surprised if he surfaces in the near future again. He could be a serious mess by now especially with that cakewalk winter, he just needs to return home.

[CANOPY SAM]

Good question.

A lot like, What would you do if you won the lottery? Give it all away? Keep it all for yourself? Or maybe half and half?

Think the odds of it happening are roughly the same.

Most guys I know, and there's only a couple, capped em' both, party tagged em', and had em' both mounted in the same position they were locked in. Pretty cool mount if you ask me!

[fr0sty]

I saw him from the creek stand three years ago. He was the only buck I saw that year. Let him walk. I also think someone from Salo's side saw and passed him last year. I think.

Would be great to at least get a tcam pic of him again.

Speaking of which, no bucks on cam since early spring. Hopefully something next time I check.

Hey Frosty what a phantom buck he is, no 1 has ever seen him from a stand correct ? I never got 1 picture of him on trailcam but you have like 3 years worth of him, don't be surprised if he surfaces in the near future again. He could be a serious mess by now especially with that cakewalk winter, he just needs to return home.

[analyzer]

crazy buck fight

[Bear55]

I agree with Stick, it would really depend on the condition of the deer,

I think this is me too, if they are going at it I am shooting. If they are struggling or fighting for their lives its rescue time. There might be some middle ground there where I don't know what I would do.

[ClownColor]

hmmmmm...sporting thing to do? Two bucks that will die? Saving them is priorty #1? yet we are hunting them right? I guess I'd rather be shot then mauled to death by wolves or slowly starve to death...

call dnr, then take'em both (granted they say so). They'll probably consider it a pass if their truley locked and dying...they won't be going far and the DNR will be there faster then a TIP call on a record buck shot at midnight with a crossbow...trust me, they'll be there to see it. Will they try to save it? very unlikely, espicially if consindering injury humans in process...though it's been done.

Take the camera out and take pics as it'll be a once and a life time story!

[DinnerPail]

Cross that bridge when it happens, same as when I win the lottery.

[paul pachowicz]

Here's what happened 2 years ago. Some "do-good-er" came across two locked up bull elk and decided he was going to save the species from extintion. As he was trying unlock them one got a tine under his rib and just missed his heart. He spent several days in the hospital and was quoted "the elk was stronger than me". No way would I intervene. Call a CO, perhaps.

[hockeybc69]

Let me cross that bridge when(or if) I ever get there.....

I am not a "what if" person.... I am a "what do I do now" person....

[bigbucks]

I'd call the CO at some point. I think I'd shoot the one I wanted & hope that he lets me have both. Otherwise he can figure out what to do with getting the other one free if he wants. Like somebody else said, you're probably going to have the opportunity to spend a fortune on a once in a lifetime double mount. Your taxidermist is going to be excited to do it, he'll work with you. Once they're locked, barring some miraculous intervention they're basically dead anyway, just part of nature.

[graf703]

I hear about this often enough to think it isn't super rare. If you have this many nice bucks in your area I would be prepared and bring some zip ties to maintain the antler lock. Shoot the one you want, call the CO, they will allow you to shoot the other and give you a tag for it. Buy the really expensive mount. Maybe two shoulder mounts looking at each other in a corner?

[HNTNBUX]

Pick a spot on the wall and call the Taxidermist. They are coming home with me.

[LightningBG]

I hear about this often enough to think it isn't super rare.

Winning the lottery isn't very rare either. People doing it every day

[graf703]

Winning the lottery isn't very rare either. People doing it every day

I wonder how many lottery participants there are contrasted with active hunters...

[OnAFly]

Pick a spot, call up Cabela's. I bet you could sell that mount to them for a good amount.