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A mule deer buck attacked a 67-year-old woman outside her front door Saturday, goring the woman’s legs with its antlers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.
The Silver Cliff resident managed to get back inside her home to call for help and was taken to a hospital in Pueblo, according to a Sunday news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Silver Cliff is a small town about 55 miles west of Pueblo in the Wet Mountain Valley, located between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wet Mountains.
“A wildlife officer went to investigate and found a bird feeder in the yard,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Mike Brown said in Sunday’s news release. “The victim told a CPW officer that she feeds birds and had thrown out bread earlier that day.”
The attack immediately raised concerns for wildlife officers that someone had been feeding the deer, causing it to lose its fear of people, Brown said in the release.
Wildlife officers are searching for the deer, CPW said. If found, officers will euthanize the deer to prevent future attacks.
“This is a good example of what happens when deer lose their natural fear of humans,” Brown said in the release. “They become aggressive and dangerous. This is a good reminder that wild animals should always be treated as such and that people need to give wildlife the space they need.”
After the attack, two young bucks were seen sparring in the yard — a common behavior during deer mating season, which usually runs through late November or early December.
It is illegal in Colorado to intentionally put out food to attract big-game animals like deer, and violators can face up to a $100 fine, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“People who feed deer do more harm than good,” said Trina Lynch, a district wildlife manager with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in a previous release.
Putting out food for deer can concentrate them in one area, which can attract mountain lions, increase the danger of deer getting chased by dogs or hit by cars, escalate the spread of disease, and more, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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