Mule Deer Buck Gores Colorado Lady within the Leg

Wildlife officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife are trying to find a younger mule deer buck that attacked an aged lady over the weekend. They plan to euthanize the deer if discovered, in response to a Sunday press launch.

The 67-year-old sufferer, whose id has not been launched, was attacked by the buck on Saturday exterior her residence in Silver Cliff, a small city of about 600 that lies 55 miles west of Pueblo. Quickly after she stepped exterior her entrance door, the buck charger her, decreasing its antlers and goring her within the left leg. (Graphic picture warning: photograph beneath.) The lady was in a position to get again inside and name her husband, who notified authorities instantly. The sufferer suffered a deep puncture wound and severe bruising on her decrease left leg, and she or he was taken to a hospital in Pueblo for remedy. Her present medical situation stays unknown.

When she reported the assault to CPW, the sufferer described the mule deer as a younger, fork-horned buck. She advised officers that the buck went again to sparring with one other younger buck in her yard quickly after the assault.

CPW officers investigated the scene later that day and located a hen feeder within the yard. The sufferer additionally defined that she often feeds the birds by hand and had thrown out bread earlier that day. This, alongside the truth that the assault occurred simply exterior somebody’s entrance door, led officers to consider that the deer was associating individuals with meals and had misplaced its concern of people.

“I consider this can be a good instance of what occurs when deer lose their pure concern of people,” CPW Space Wildlife Supervisor Mike Brown stated within the press launch. “They develop into aggressive and harmful. It is a good reminder that wild animals ought to at all times be handled as such, and that individuals want to offer wildlife the area they want.”

Wildlife officers have been nonetheless trying to find the buck as of Monday afternoon, in response to CPW public info officer Invoice Vogrin. Saturday’s assault is the second of its variety documented in Colorado this yr. In mid-October, one other lady was attacked by an aggressive mule deer buck whereas taking part in basketball on a public court docket in Aspen. She suffered minor accidents to her arms whereas shielding her face, however declined medical consideration, in response to CPW. A subsequent investigation decided that the sufferer did nothing to instigate the assault. Officers additionally discovered that the identical deer had been performing aggressively and approaching different individuals on the town. That deer was situated and euthanized.