Officials said 66-year-old Thomas Alexander shot the buck with a muzzleloader, but it attacked him when he approached to see if the animal was dead.

YELLVILLE, Ark. (WTHR) - A hunter in Arkansas died after being attacked by a deer he had just shot.

Officials said 66-year-old Thomas Alexander shot the buck with a muzzleloader while hunting in the northern part of the state.

“I don’t know how long he left it there, but he went up to check it to make sure it was dead. And evidently it wasn’t," Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesperson Keith Stephens told KY3.

The deer reportedly attacked Alexander, leaving several puncture wounds on the hunter's body. Though he was alone, Alexander called his family, who called police.

Alexander died at the hospital, though officials say it's not clear if he died from the wounds or another cause, such as a heart attack.

There are no plans for an autopsy to confirm a cause of Alexander's death.

Stephens said a similar incident happened several years ago, where a hunter suffered significant injuries from a buck's antlers, but survived.

The Game and Fish Commission said hunters should make sure the deer hasn't moved for about a half-hour before approaching it.