Elk NetworkBrutal Photo: Young Buck Loses Duel

General | December 19, 2019

Nature can be brutal. Nowhere is evidence of that more clearly displayed than in this Colorado photo taken by Lee Winnike.

According to a post on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Facebook page, this young whitetail buck came out on the losing end of a scrape with another buck.

Bucks often face off during the breeding season, or rut, with rivals to determine dominance hierarchy. The testosterone-filled sparring matches are usually rather short-lived but some, as you see above, can have painful or even deadly results.

(Photo source: Lee Winnike/Colorado Parks and Wildlife)