The mule deer rut might be just about over, but for one unlucky buck in Colorado, the last fight of the season ended with a bit of a surprise. On November 29, a 3x4 buck, presumably having seen its reflection in the ground-level window of a Colorado Springs home, was in for a shock when he charged the glass. Rather than locking antlers with his imaginary opponent, the deer crashed through the window, winding up in a basement office.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officer Travis Sauder was the first on the scene. He found the buck resting on the floor beside a desk and a suitcase. Photos posted on CPW’s Twitter page indicate that it had been stomping around for a few minutes before Sauder arrived, leaving a trail of droppings and blood in its wake.
According to the Twitter report, Sauder hit the buck with a tranquilizer dart to sedate it. The deer went down, but not before taking a flower vase as collateral. In a photo taken shortly after, the buck peacefully sleeps, using the shattered vase and flowers as a pillow.
Sauder and CPW biologist Ty Woodard then carried the buck outside. In a short video, Sauder massages the deer’s stomach to break its trance. At the 30-second mark, the deer finally regains consciousness. The video cuts out just before the buck stands up, but CPW reported that the deer limped off in a drowsy state.
Next year, this buck might think twice before picking another fight.
Images via CPW.
