These two tangled dead bucks were found by a Douglas County landowner Wednesday about three miles west of Kasold Drive and Peterson Road. Such sights are not uncommon during the rut, or mating season, when bucks compete for dominance. The deer most often die of dehydration.

A Douglas County landowner who lives about three miles northwest of Lawrence came across a gruesome sight on his property earlier this week — two dead deer with their antlers tangled.

The landowner told the Journal-World that his dog found the two bucks on Wednesday.

Such sights are not uncommon where deer are plentiful during the rut, or mating season, when bucks compete for dominance. When the antlers become locked, deer often die of dehydration.

The landowner, who didn’t want to be identified, contacted a hunter he knew, who took the antlers, which were 11-points and nine-points.

The landowner planned to leave the deer carcasses out for the turkey vultures.