TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER LAST NIGHT THAT A BOWHUNTER FOUND TWO MONSTER BUCKS LOCKED TOGETHER IN THE HORICON MARSH. ONE OF THE BUCKS (A HUGE 15 POINTER) WAS DEAD AND STARTING TO DECOMPOSE. THE OTHER BUCK WAS ALIVE AND WAS A HUGE TEN POINTER. THE GUY SHOT THE ALIVE BUCK AND IS GOING TO GET THEM BOTH MOUNTED LOCKED TOGETHER. QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS. IF YOU FOUND TWO LOCKED UP WOULD YOU WALK UP TO THEM AND SHOOT THEM, OR TRY TO SAVE THE ONE THAT IS ALIVE?

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I' d say I would shoot the alive buck. If they' re locked up and can' t get apart when they are both alive there is little chance the will free up before the remaining alive buck dies. It sucks because it' s not very sporting but if left alone they both would die.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

ADAMS, UNLESS YOU COULD FREE UP THE ALIVE ONE.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Someone on this board posted a pic not too long ago of a similar situation. Personally I would shoot the buck.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Lenny,
Your a better Man than I if your willing to walk up on an angry buck. This buck is in the fight of hs life. If you free him up what' s to stop him from sticking you with his rack, let alone kicking you while you try to help him. A deers hooves are pretty damn sharp. It' s not a gamble I' m willing to take,

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Has anybody had good success approaching a deer that is alive?

To me it sounds like there wasn' t much of a choice. I would think twice about getting too close to a deer that big. If it was a fawn or yearling it might be a different story.

I wonder how much that mount would cost?;)

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

MY BROTHER CAME ACROSS THIS SITUATION ON TUESDAY NIGHT. HE WENT HOME AND GOT ME AND WE WENT BACK OUT TO VIDEO TAPE THE DEER. THERE WAS TWO TEN POINTS LOCKED UP, BOTH ALIVE. ONE WAS ABOUT A 140" AND THE OTHER ABOUT A 130" . WE CALLED THE WARDEN AND HE CAME OUT AND BLEW OFF THE MAIN BEAM ON ONE OF THE BUCKS WITH A 12 GUAGE SLUG. THEY BOTH SURVIVED AND DIDN' T SEEM TO BE IN TOO BAD OF SHAPE. YEAH, MY BROTHER (19 YEARS OLD) COULD HAVE VERY EASILY WALKED UP AND SHOT ONE OF THEM, BUT HE DIDN' T. HE WANTED TO SAVE THE TWO BUCKS. I GIVE HIM A LOT OF CREDIT, ESPECIALLY AT HIS AGE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT BOTH THE BUCKS ARE BIGGER THAN ANYTHING HE HAS SHOT AND HE COULD HAVE LEGALLY SHOT ONE OF THEM WITH HIS BOW THAT HE HAD WITH HIM WHEN HE FIRST FOUND THEM.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I' d shoot the buck.

In 99% of cases where they free the remaining deer that is alive it ends up dying of stress anyways. Once an animal has gone through an ordeal like that there' s pretty much no chance for survival. Might as well put it out of it' s misery instead of allowing him to suffer any longer.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I like the idea of trying to free it. Albeit from a distance. Where is the study that you get your percentages from JZarr I' d like to read it.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Jzarr I am curious to where you got that information? Has there been a study done or something? I have heard of deer being shot that were carrying the whole head of the other deer around. Surely if that is possible then both could survive if they were free. I don' t know if I would be the one to attempt getting them apart. Sound like a plan for getting yourself hurt. However, I sure don' t see the sport in killing one when it has zero change to evade you.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I would shoot the buck that was still alive. Like others say, chances are he' s going to die so why not peacefully finish him off rather that let stress and starvation take their toll.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

In Va he could have shot both of them.

Just because one chooses to not do something does not make it the law, or unethical for another to do the oppisite.


We mount heads sometimes based on the story behind the hunt, not the size of the head, Not always are only yhe biggest bucks mounted,and what a story this man will have. God Bless him.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I would have shoot the deer also. Trying to free it could be dangerous, and would put a lot of stress on the deer. But as Lenny said, it could be done.

Lenny
I am 19 and give your bro much credit also.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

man all i got to add is turn off that D@MN caps lock....its hurtin my ears![:@]

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I seen a home video on TV a while back that had 2 live bucks locked up fighting in the snow. They got hung up on a fence, and some guys used a chainsaw to cut their antlers to free them.
I seen a picture of a mount of 3 bucks locked up. Some hunters came across them and shot them. 1 was dead already, I think. They barely left enough cape for the taxidermists to work with. They said the 3-way mount is worth alot of money because it is the only one, if I remember right.
I would probably shoot the live buck in a 1-dead situation, or if I had 2 buck tags left, I would shoot both in situation with both alive.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I would not shoot the live one. I hunt for the sport of it and would not feel to fulfilled shooting some deer thats stuck and cant move. I would feel better setting him back to the wild for me to hunt another day! Now i' m not saying its unethical - to each his own. this is just my take on the whole deal.

As far as the deer probably dying anyways, why would he. I dont get this whole stress theory. If thats the case why arent people dropping off like flies all over the world from stress? It doesnt make sense. You see marathon runners collapsing from exhaustion just to get some water and rest some and they are ok. Why would the deer die if he is able to walk away and rest up. Maybe if the animal has been there for a few days i could see em being too far gone but in thast case you could free him and at least see if he runs away.

the way i see it, if he can walk away he will survive. i dont buy into the theory that 99% of these cases result in the deer dying later after being freed. Man, i have seen deer that were hit by cars getting by.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

What if they were both alive and you had one buck tag?? They may die eventually but you can only legally shoot 1. Now what? I personally would have a tough time shooting one that' s locked up. Just doesn' t seem right. I' m not saying that' s what should or shouldn' t be done because frankly I don' t have a clue. I' m glad this was posted. I will have something to go on if I ever come across this. Ultimately I' d say let nature take it' s course on that one.

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

I would have to say that I would try to get the live one loose.I figure if he won that battle than he deservse another shot at life. Besides ther is not much sport in walking up to a deer and shooting it.I think I speek for alot of us bowhunters, thats why we chose bowhunting, for the chalenge! Good huntin

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

QUIT SHOUTING!!!!

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Let it go.....LOL:D

I would stick the live one - then shoot the other just to make sure:D[&:]

One hell of a drag though:D

RE: TWO BUCKS LOCKED UP
 

Yep, it was one of the home movies sent in on Buckmasters i beleive. 2 big deer got hung in like a barb wire fence kinda deal and they had several guys come out and chained ther racks free.

I read an article in a magazine the other day, i was standing in the Casey' s Gas station and didnt feel like paying 6 bucks for one article that i wanted to read so i bought a soda and sat there and read it:D A guy had shot a deer that had another buck tangled to it. The dead buck was thought to be mostly eaten by predators. If a deer is slowed by another deer hooked to it so much that a pack of yotes can come up and eat off of his forehead, id probably take him. especially with a gun, maybe not a bow. I would FOR SURE have to get it on video tho!:D still waiting for some bucks to come lock up in front of my stand for the cam.