Deer stuck to a Georgia tree caught on video frantically trying to get free

A small but sneaky hardwood tree got the drop on a deer this week in Georgia, resulting in a surreal tug-of-war that has become a hit on social media.

Video of the deer trying to escape the tree’s steely grip has racked up more than 17,000 views since being posted Wednesday on Facebook.

It shows the terrified deer bucking and kicking like a horse, and even spinning in circles as it attempts to pull away from the tree.

Closer inspection reveals the its antlers were tangled in threads of wood within the trunk, and the trap tightened each time the deer spun around.

Aside from proving trees cannot be trusted, the video exposes the risk bucks face when engaging in a seemingly innocent fall ritual, wildlife experts said.

“In early fall, bucks can be observed rubbing their antlers against small trees to remove the velvet that has been growing on their antlers throughout the summer,” the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division wrote on Facebook.

“That’s what got this buck all tangled up!”

Fall is also mating season, which is why males are more apt to be involved in traffic accidents between October and early December, the state says.

The video was filmed in a Roswell neighborhood, north of Atlanta, and shows an urban wildlife technician came to the rescue. The technician, identified only as Shane, freed the deer by cutting away the threads of wood.

Clearly terrified, the buck bolts into the woods and vanishes in a split second, as onlookers cheer.

State wildlife officials did not say how long the deer was stuck, but the struggle went on long enough to pulverize all the grass and dig a small rut at the spot.

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