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Bowhunter Robert Denninger found two mature bucks locked together by their antlers on a remote Oklahoma public hunting area on Oct. 23, 2026. After consulting a game warden, he shot both deer, saying he believed they could not free themselves and might otherwise suffer or die. The department’s legal guidance and the animals’ exact condition before the encounter were not independently detailed in the report.
Robert Denninger, a 42-year-old bowhunter from Dallas, found two mature bucks locked together by their antlers on a remote Oklahoma public hunting area on Oct. 23, according to an account published by Outdoor Life. After calling a local game warden, Denninger shot both deer, saying he believed they could not separate and would otherwise remain trapped and at risk of prolonged suffering.
Denninger had reached the area by kayak, paddling up a creek to a spot he had located the day before. He was hunting from a tree saddle when he saw a deer in a creek bed about 75 yards away. He moved closer and found two bucks fighting, with their antlers locked. Denninger filmed the encounter on his phone, the report says.
He told Outdoor Life he was unsure whether killing one of the deer would be an ethical act or a violation of fair chase. Denninger said he called a local Oklahoma game warden before acting. According to Denninger, the warden told him there was no on-call veterinarian available to sedate the animals and try to separate them safely. The report does not include a statement from the warden or the Oklahoma wildlife agency.
Denninger said he shot the larger buck, a typical-racked 12-pointer, after his first arrow was deflected by brush. He then watched as the eight-pointer continued struggling and said it could not move the weight of the other deer. He shot the second buck as well. The report says the animals remained locked even after they died. Denninger and friends hauled them out using a wheeled wagon, a trek that took more than three hours. A taxidermist later helped separate the antlers.
A Difficult Call in the Field
The encounter presents a decision that is unusual but consequential for hunters: whether to kill animals that appear unable to escape a dangerous entanglement. Denninger’s choice was based on his assessment that the bucks could not free themselves and on what he said the game warden told him about the lack of veterinary help. His account does not establish a general rule for hunters facing similar situations.
There is also a practical distinction between a hunter’s ethical judgment and the applicable hunting regulations. Denninger said he had two Oklahoma buck tags and believed using them was the most ethical option. The published account, however, does not provide the warden’s precise legal advice or identify a specific regulation governing this circumstance. Readers should not treat the story as legal guidance for other encounters.
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How the Bucks Were Recovered
Denninger told Outdoor Life that a friend had previously described finding two locked-antler bucks dead in a pond and partly eaten by coyotes. That story was part of his concern about leaving the Oklahoma deer trapped, but it is background he cited, not evidence of what would have happened to these two bucks.
The recovered deer were both described as having typical racks. Denninger estimated the 12-pointer at about 7.5 years old, with a rough green score of 152 inches, and the eight-pointer at about 5.5 years old and 132 inches. Those age and score figures are estimates reported in the article. Denninger said the 12-pointer was the biggest buck he had taken during his bowhunting career. He had not decided whether to display the antlers in a locked-horn mount or as separate mounts.
“My mind was racing – would attempting to harvest these bucks be a hunter’s gift or a violation of fair chase?”
— Robert Denninger, speaking to Outdoor Life
Questions About the Warden’s Advice
The published account does not identify the public hunting area or name the game warden, and it does not include independent confirmation from Oklahoma wildlife officials. The precise legal guidance Denninger received remains unclear, as does whether the state has a formal protocol for locked-antler deer when veterinary assistance is unavailable.
The report also does not describe a veterinary assessment of the bucks before they were shot. Denninger said they were unable to separate and that the smaller deer struggled under the larger one’s weight, but their exact injuries and likelihood of surviving without intervention are not established independently. The account does not say whether wildlife officials reviewed the incident afterward.
Mounting the Locked Antlers
Denninger said the antlers were eventually separated with help from taxidermist Dustin Moon and his wife, Stephanie, who drove to the site. The deer are expected to be mounted, but Denninger had not decided whether to preserve them together in a locked-horn display or as separate mounts.
No further agency review, regulatory clarification or official statement was included in the Outdoor Life report. Without one, it remains unclear whether the case will prompt any public guidance about how hunters should respond to locked-antler animals. For hunters who encounter a similar situation, this account alone does not settle what is lawful or appropriate; the relevant wildlife agency is the source for current rules and instructions.
Key Questions
Where did Denninger find the bucks?
He found them in a creek bed on a remote Oklahoma public hunting area. The published report does not name the specific area.
Why did he shoot both deer?
Denninger said their antlers were locked and the smaller buck could not move the weight of the larger one. He said a local game warden told him no on-call veterinarian was available to try to separate them safely. These details are reported from Denninger’s account.
Did the game warden say the shooting was legal?
The report says Denninger called a game warden, but it does not provide the warden’s specific legal advice. It also contains no direct comment from Oklahoma wildlife officials, so the legal guidance is not clear from the published account.
What happened to the antlers?
The bucks remained locked after they died. Denninger said taxidermist Dustin Moon and his wife helped separate the racks. Denninger had not decided whether to display them together or separately.
Source: outdoorlife.com
