This is a slow time of year for most game wardens, but last week one officer got a call that he’ll never forget. It all ended with him taking aim at the antlers of two entangled whitetail bucks and touching off a shot from his 12-gauge.
Officer Scott Kallweit was dispatched in response to a call Russ and Shelley Wright, a couple that came across two male whitetails near their home in Calgary, Alberta, that had locked their horns together while fighting, according to CBC News.
When he arrived, Kallweit weighed his options, including tranquilizing the animals, but told Global News that “being the only officer on scene, that was a limiting option.” Instead he chose to use his shotgun—loaded with slugs—to free the deer with one well-placed shot.
CBC News also shared a similar video from 2018 of another Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer freeing locked-up deer with a shotgun. That time, however, it was too late for one of the bucks. Some folks may also remember a viral video of Ted Nugent pulling off a similar feat a few years ago with a 10-mm pistol to separate entangled whitetails.
If you come across some gridlocked bucks, we encourage you to follow Russ and Shelley Wright’s example by calling wardens. A reporting officer will be able to handle the situation in the best possible manner.
Video and photo via Russ and Shelley Wright.
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