Whitetail deer are one of the most known and beloved creatures to roam North America. Hunters and non-hunters can all agree they are a beautiful and majestic animal. Relatively large compared to most North American mammals, bucks can weigh up to 300 pounds and stand over 3 feet tall at the shoulder.
They’re adaptable animals and have learned to live in and around towns and cities. As people continue to grow, many have moved into these areas and actually thrive with increased protection and easy access to food. They have access to lawns and gardens all over the place.
With that comes some unique interactions that could never be predicted. We’ve seen deer get caught up in strange places before. Deer will often find themselves caught up in barbed wire or some other fencing, as they’re running at full speed and end up mistiming the jump over the fence. Of course, having a big rack of antlers on your head is always a recipe for disaster when it comes to fencing, rope, and other easily tangled materials.
However, I have to say this is the first time I’ve ever seen a whole buck get its antlers caught up in a rope swing. This wild scene went down in Fresno, Ohio, when three hunters came across a whitetail buck caught up in a rope swing near a creek.
In the footage, you can see the creature trying its best to get untangled, and ends up being lifted into the air due to the swing. It almost looks like it’s intentionally trying to run back and forth and swing on the rope.
Joshua Baldridge told Inside Edition:
“There was a rope swing for the creek… and somehow it managed to get its head wrapped up in the rope.”
The three were trying to figure out the best way to free the deer, without endangering the lives of themselves and the buck. So Baldridge, who is a wrestler himself, performed a technique called the “tight waist,” where he grabbed the buck by the waist and held it against a tree:
“He was kicking me, and I think he was trying to bite me. I felt really helpless.”
Once Baldridge secured the deer by the tree, another took out a knife and cut the rope, and the creature immediately took off across the creek and deep into the woods. Thanks to these hunters, the deer was able to get out of the situation relatively unscathed. People love to hate on hunters as proponents of animal cruelty, but you probably won’t find someone who cares more about deer than a hunter.
Check it out:
