VIROQUA, Wis. (AP) -- A Wisconsin man awoke on a recent morning to find his 640-pound elk statue the victor in a duel with a real seven-point buck that likely thought it a romantic rival.

It's breeding season, commonly called "the rut," so dominant bucks are trying to defend their females and breeding territories.

The La Crosse Tribune reports that the antler-to-antler battles usually end with the larger buck scaring off the smaller rival, though some are fatal.

That was the case in Mark and Carol Brye's backyard in rural Viroqua. The real buck, which Mark Brye estimated at about 180 pounds, died from a head injury after ramming the life-sized concrete statue.

He said the Vernon County conservation warden tagged the buck with a note that read: lawn ornament fight -- lost.