Male deer made to look rather foolish by plastic rival

The male deer approaches the plastic model in Kootenai National Forest in Montana (Pic: Solent)

When it showed no sign of backing down, and suspiciously showed no reaction at all,  the aggressor decided he had to get tough. He charged the decoy, scattering its limbs across the ground.

Perhaps feeling a little guilty, or possibly just bemused by how the creature’s head fell off with no blood, the victor looked a little sheepish. 

Clearly upset at the intruder, the deer charges at the model (Pic: Solent)

The images were captured by photographer Don Jones in the Kootenai National Forest in Montana, US.

Mr Jones, 52, said: ‘I knew that once the bucks saw this smaller decoy buck they would not stand for it.

'I believe that part of what angers the attacking buck is that the model’s ears are fixed to be straight out at attention, which isn’t a sign of submission.’

The male deer surveys the damage after destroying the plastic model (Pic: Solent)

/Metro/