Have you ever been in your stand and heard 2 bucks hitting antlers and got down to go and try to shoot one? I’ve never been in that situation, but was curious if the bucks would be so focused on each other that you could stalk up within range and get one. My concern is they definitely would not be standing still for a shot.

Yes I have. There are almost always some doe's around too so there are extra eyes.

99.9% of buck fights are over in less than 10 seconds. I have video of one fight that lasted for over 1 minute and it was by far the best fight I have ever witnessed. So what I am saying is the odds of you hearing the fight and getting out of your stand and walking up on them while they are still going at it are very very slim.

Agree

I filmed one about 75 yards from my driveway this afternoon. It lasted about half a minute. Good fight and confirmed I was hunting an hour too far away. Wonder what the neighbors would say if....

The two buck fights I was a part of, they couldn't have cared less that I was there. One I was within 30 yards of them screaming at them trying to get them to break it up before they killed each other. One was a 10pt, other was an 8pt. I didn't scare them but the 8pt finally gave up and the 10pt chased him off. That loud crashing buck fight brought in 5 other smaller bucks. It was a sight to see. I could have killed a truck load of bucks that day.

Never had mature bucks fighting but a lot of 4 pointers playing like kids, one didn't want to fight and the other was glad of it

I've seen a mule deer fight last for 3 minutes. That was a sight to see, too bad it was out of my tag's season

I watch them fight while I’m sitting in my living room recliner year after year and they fight for about 5-15 minutes. They stop occasionally for a minute or so but it takes a while for one of them to best the other.

The short fights are typically just sparring or young bucks. I’m assuming the OP is asking about rutting behavior seeing as how it’s approaching December and mature bucks really going at it.

Just watched one last weekend… lasted about 5 minutes and what happened during the fight was a first…. a pair of coyotes came running in…. when they got close the biggest buck broke off from the fight and charged them with his antlers and they hauled a$$…. I agree most fights don’t last that long it made me wonder if the coyotes were checking to see if they were locked up….

True that most buck fights do not last long. I was rattling here in Menard County on Saturday, trying to rattle up a mature 8 point management buck and had great success attracting bucks but just not what I wanted. I rattled up approximately 30 bucks with 8 points or more and on two occasions had bucks that I rattled up get into a scuffle. I will try again in a few days and post a photo, hopefully. I am trying to rattle up a buck and take it with my new Ruger made Marlin 336 in 30-30 caliber. This is really a lot of fun and takes me back to my early days of hunting 60 years ago.
Adios,
Gary

Saw much the same about 3 years ago now, watching through my spotting scope. Like an idiot, I didn't try to video with cell phone but sure wish I had. They were two big, mature bucks.