Montauk man cuts free deer with antlers stuck in fencing

Anthony Sosinski, 50, a Montauk lobsterman, didn’t hesitate when he saw two bucks tangled in more than a mating season battle last week.

Logan Erb, 25, of Montauk, said her pit bull first noticed the two bucks tumbling around her neighbor's yard Nov. 20. The animals were joined by a piece of deer fencing that only seemed to tighten as they struggled to break free, so Erb ran to Sosinski for help. 

"He grabbed a knife and just went after them," said Erb, who was recording the encounter. 

Sosinski, co-author of the book, "A Speck in the Sea: A Story of Survival and Rescue," pursued the two male deer as they wildly twisted. 

"They were kinda tossing each other around and finally let him get closer," Erb said. 

Sosinski didn’t give up the effort to cut them free, which lasted more than five minutes. His perseverance paid off and he eventually cut free the bucks, which are frequent visitors to the neighborhoods of Montauk.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that citizens call DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) at 631-444-0250 or their local police department when they witness wildlife in need of help.

While the actions of the man in the video was courageous and compassionate, he did put himself and the animal in a position of being injured, a DEC spokesman said.

With Rachel Uda