The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law District 2 posted four amazing photos to its Facebook page Thursday. Two heavily massed deer were found dead after locking antlers in a rut-fueled battle.
A landowner in Noble County found the deer on his property early the same morning. No one knows how long the animals had been locked together, but judging by the area around the deer, DNR officials determined that the 13-pointer and 10-pointer were in the middle of a particularly “massive” battle when their antlers became inseparable.
“Unfortunately, life in the wild is difficult at times,” the post read.
Some commenters called the deaths a waste; others, part of nature. Whatever the philosophical stance, the deer were and are standout representatives of their species.
The post didn’t provide any information on what happened to the antlers, but the bodies already appeared bloated; the meat was likely too far gone to be safe for human consumption.