Doe attacks man after being shot with arrow

Sharon Roznik | The Reporter of Fond du Lac

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – It's not often a deer get its revenge.

A man was injured Friday evening, Jan. 2, in Fond du Lac County, Wis., when he was attacked by the deer that he had wounded with an arrow.

The 72-year-old man was transported by ambulance to the hospital, according to Fond du Lac Sheriff's Officer Jeff Bonack.

The man was bow hunting earlier in the day with a crossbow. He wounded the doe with an arrow and went back out later to track the animal, Bonack said.

"Apparently the man was going through some thick brush and the deer leaped out and went after him," Bonack said. "The doe struck him in the leg with her head."

Deer typically aren't aggressive unless they are wounded or in a rut during mating season, according to Greg Yarrow, chair of the Division of Natural Resources and professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University.

"It's really rare for a doe to be aggressive, though an alpha doe can be fairly aggressive, especially if they are injured," Yarrow said.

Bonack said the ambulance call came in around 7:30 p.m. and that the man's condition is unknown.

Bonack said the 72-year old had been out hunting with other family members.

"I'm guessing the deer got away," Bonack said.

Contributing Mary Bowerman, USA TODAY Network.