This video, first posted on the Illinois DNR Facebook page, shows a trio of officers (one conservation officer, a state trooper and forest preserve officer) closing in on two tangled bucks in a cornfield. It’s clear that the two deer are close to exhaustion (and probably death) when one of the officers starts shooting.
But instead of a mercy killing, the officer shoots apart the bucks’ racks. Unfortunately one of the deer had to be put down after being freed, but the other deer survived.
Unbelievably, some animal rights activist are actually criticizing this incredible display of marksmanship. Mark Dorencz wrote, “As a proud supporter of PETA, I am appalled at this video. The officer should have comforted the deer prior to shooting at them,” according to the Daily News.
But the Illinois DNR defended its actions, saying “it was vital to ensure the survival of the bucks.”