While showing a hunting land property in Harrison County on September 27 (2008) I came across a set of locked bucks.  The two bucks were dead, but had not been dead long.  My estimate would be less than 24 hours judging by the condition of the bodies.  Both were floating in about 7 feet of water which proved not to be much of a challenge to a determined agent that was going to show the bucks to his clients.  I did end up soaked and muddy but it was the right thing to get the animals that would begin to decompose in the water out of the water.  I just wish I'd thought to take my cell phone out of my pocket before I let my enthusiasm take over. 

With the permission of the landowner I separated the dead bucks to get a look at the size of the deer and to get photos.  Its a sad way for a couple of promising 2 1/2 year olds to go, and especially strange they are so aggressive so early in the season.  These two were only 3 weeks out of velvet and ended up in the fight of their lives.  Most likely when they locked they ended up drowning each other in the pond.  It took over 10 minutes to pry the antlers apart.  When you look at the photos below I can pinpoint the problem.  In the second photo the deer to the right had its right main beam completely around and under the neck of the deer on the left.  That was where they were locked and it really took some prying and twisting to get them apart.