A Nebraska hunter has bagged two deer that he’d come across while they were locked in mortal combat.

The Kearney Hub reports that Todd Stolley, of Johnson Lake in south-central Nebraska, found the bucks Tuesday while hunting in western Gosper County.

Stolley says he watched the bucks struggle for a few minutes before realizing their antlers were locked.

One of the deer soon died. Stolley says it was clear the other buck would never get free, so Stolley shot it.

A game officer says Stolley filled his deer permit by killing the one deer and could keep the carcass of the other deer because Stolley hadn’t killed it.

Stolley says he intends to have a taxidermist mount the deer as they were found, locked in battle.