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Video shows epic battle between rival bucks
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A new video shows how brutal it can get when mule deer fight during the rut. - photo by Grant Olsen
Its not unusual for deer and other large animals to fight during the rut, as dominant males and younger contenders battle for mates and territory.

Recent videos have showcased bull elk and moose squaring off, and the results are definitely intense. Serious injuries can result from these clashes. And in rare cases, the combatants become permanently entangled, which typically results in starvation.

A video filmed by Micah Iverson shows an epic clash between two mule deer. Iverson, who lives in Helper, Utah, went out into the hills above his house to look for deer.

I am an avid outdoorsmen and took my boys out on the (four) wheeler to see if we could see some rutting bucks, he said. We found the two bucks squaring off.

The Iversons definitely got more than they expected when they came across the brawl. The video begins as they approached a group of deer on their ATV. Noting the tension between the two bucks, Iverson can be heard saying to his sons, Looks guys are they gonna fight? They gonna fight right here?

After killing the engine of his ATV, Iverson approached the deer and filmed their nearly 3-minute battle. And the dirt really begins to fly as the massive bucks go at each other.

A victor finally emerged from the skirmish, and the video ends with him chasing his vanquished foe off through the brush.
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