An elk slain in Utah had its last revenge when its antler punctured the neck of the hunter who'd brought him down.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports the 51-year-old hunter snagged the elk Saturday east of Vernal.

Uintah County Undersheriff John Laursen says the man was trying to roll the 600- to 700-pound animal over when the antler stabbed him behind his jaw.

Deputies say the hunter called for help and told dispatchers he was having trouble breathing.

Rescuers airlifted the man to the hospital, and crews put a tube into his trachea to keep it open.

Laursen says the hunter was later flown to a different hospital for surgery, and was expected to make a full recovery.