Whitetail Deer Antler Development Photo Study WIth A Sad Ending

[Len Backus]

My friend, Jack, is my hunting and wildlife photo partner. This summer he started to chronicle the antler growth of these two edeer.

Two weeks ago he came across the 2 bucks...dead from fighting each other.

http://www.fototime.com/3926F2EFE9A88E4/standard.jpg

[ 10-19-2004: Message edited by: Len Backus ]

 

[GREYGHOSTt]

oops should have been studying them through something with a crosshair rectical!
That way they wouldn't have gone to waste!

[ 10-19-2004: Message edited by: GREYGHOSTt ]

 

[Ian M]

Len,
I assume that the bucks drowned. When I was doing a lot of whitetail photography I found some locked pairs, actually managed to free one huge buck with a 95 grain Nosler from a 6mm Rem. Broke off the antler of the dead buck, the other guy left the scene OK. Released another pair in a slough, water was only a few inches deep but the idiots were fighting in it.
One day we got a call about two locked bucks near our city. Drove out with the conservation officers in case we needed to tranquilize them. Country is flat as a pancake for miles. No water, no nothing except farmland. Only one pond for probably ten miles - the bucks fought their way over to that dugout and were drowned when we got there. Makes you wonder...
Your buddy did some nice stuff, really like the shot with the shallow depth of field, nice job!

 

[4ked Horn]

I saw this post before there were any responses and I didn't know exactly what to say. I mean, we hunt deer so why would we care if they died right? Well I think John M. nailed it. When deer die this way it can't be easy. It is a bit of a sad picture to see but it is also part of the natural world.

Thanks for posting the photos Len.

 

[Len Backus]

Ian

I'm not sure if Jack is around but I'll see if I can get him to respond.

 

[Guest]

Wow, what a waste! My wife, and other non hunters wonder why this photo is upsetting to me when I "kill" deer. They do not understand that my intent is not to make them suffer. This is an example of horrific ending to the lives of deer. It is, however, nature.

I must note - great photography.

 

[Guest]

Great photos and a noble persuit. It's a real shame that it ended this way, but nature is often times harsh in its' promotion of "survival of the fittest." I saw a picture of a huge buck walking around with the head of another buck still locked in his antlers! Strange critters.... I guess that's one reason they are so interesting and often challenging to hunt.

 

[georges3]

Daammmmmmn!!!! Such a waste----George

 

[dafooge]

mother nature is very cruel sometimes,,all off my 30 yrs off hunting and tromping thru the woods i have never seen anything like this,,i sometimes think things happen for a reason and devine intervention happens, as those bucks fought and locked up,you were meant to find them..just my 2 cents ,,,dafooge