On Saturday, August 30, an archer in Oregon was attacked by a deer he’d tried to kill the previous night, leaving him with fatal injuries and ultimately leading to his death. [1]
Sixty-six-year-old Mark David had been hunting on private property the previous day, in Trask Road area, Tillamook County. David fired an arrow when he spotted an elk in the distance, but the shot wasn’t fatal and the animal was able to escape.
The hunter searched for hours but gave up when the sun began to set. According to the Oregon State Police, he returned the next day with the property owner to find his kill.
On Sunday morning, at around 9:15 am, David and his partner spotted the animal lying in the distance. Unfortunately, the enraged bull attacked him when he tried to fire another shot, tearing him up around the neck with its antlers and causing irreparable injuries. The landowner tried to help David, but the wounded hunter bled out and died on the scene.
“The landowner attempted to help David but he sustained fatal injuries and died,” Oregon State Police said.
The police report that the elk was later killed and its meat donated to the Tillamook County Jail.
Regulated hunting is permitted in Oregon, where the archery elk hunting season starts in late August and ends in late September. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 34 million acres of public land is open to hunters in the state.
Our hearts go out in condolence to the family of the late hunter.
With game hunting, there’s never any certainty
Every year, hundreds of hunters are wounded to varying degrees by wild animals, and it’s not always by the same ones they attempt to kill. Out in the forest, you are not always in charge as an animal could charge and maim from any direction.
In October last year, another 66-year-old man was mauled to death by a deer he’d shot. As reported by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the hunter had made plans to skin and dress the deer with his nephew, who later found him lying in the dirt, riddled with antler puncture wounds. [2]
The hunter had been responsive and speaking when his nephew found him. The young lad even got him on the phone to speak to his wife, but he passed away before the paramedics could arrive at the scene. It was uncertain if he died from the puncture wounds or a medical situation such as a heart attack. However, the family did not authorize any autopsy.
The Game and Fish Commission also warned hunters to be careful when approaching wounded animals. An animal may just be stunned by a shot and when you try to pick it up, you could get seriously injured or mauled to death.
Just recently, the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming warned visitors against standing around to film or watch elks brawling with their horns. Male elks engage in “extremely dangerous” horn-clashing fights to impress the females during the mating season, and by-standers could get critically hurt. Everyone is responsible for their own safety around wild animals.
References
- “A hunter was fatally gored by the deer he thought he killed, officials say.” Washington Post. Michael Brice-Saddler. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- “A hunter was gored by the deer he thought he shot and killed.” CNN. Elizabeth Wolfe. Retrieved September 1, 2020.