Do Deer Attack Humans (Yes, See Why Here!)

Maybe you are out in nature and suddenly you saw a deer, you are asking yourself do deer attack humans?. Well, the simple answer is Yes. Deer normally are not aggressive.

They are skittish animals and tend to run away from humans and avoid unnecessary confrontations, but may attack humans if provoked or to defend it young.

whether you are a hunter or a nature lover, deer is an animal that you most likely have come across. Many people who hunt deer don’t see that as aggressive animals. This is particularly true for deer hunters.

However, if you are not a deer hunter, you would feel is cruel to kill them because they are helpless animals. But don’t be deceived.

These animals can be quite dangerous and to stay safe from them, you need to respect their privacy. For a deer to attack humans, it will depend on the circumstance. Keep reading to find out more.

Do Deers Attack Humans?

Yes. Deers are known to attack people every year. You probably don’t hear of it every day. But it certainly does happen when people are out in nature.

They attack depending on the situation. Deers become more aggressive during certain periods; thus during their mating or when they feel that humans are invading their territory by protecting their fawn.

During their rutting season, bucks become easily agitated and can attack people. Rutting deer is known to destroy things during this season.

They can do a lot of crazy things and that is dangerous to anyone that comes near them. There are even cases where they were seen swimming across lakes to attack people and even chase after them.

Otherwise, under normal circumstances, deers are known to be docile and afraid of people. Generally, they keep their distance from people to protect themselves.

During the rutting season, the only thing deer are looking for is to mate.  Different types of animals act differently when they are in their mating season.

Are Deer Scared of Humans?

A deer is generally considered to be a docile and timid animal that does not attack humans. However, the deer population explosion, due to human activity, has greatly increased deer-human contact.

Plus, these animals are forced to live in close proximity to humans and as such, have lost their fear of humans and have become more aggressive toward humans under certain circumstances like protecting their fawn, in rutting season or when they feel threatened.

Why Do Deers Attack Humans?

There are different reasons why a deer might attack a human being. Some of those common reasons are listed below.

1). Protecting their Young

Deer attacking humans, especially mule deer and whitetail deer are caused by mainly three things. Mostly the mother is trying to protect her young one.

The thing is most people do come across lonely fawn roaming in the woods and mistake that they are alone or abandoned. Your human instincts might tell you to take and protect the fawn.

In most cases, the mother is always around and might have left the fawn there intentionally.

Stay away from deer during their rutting season. Generally, deer rutting season is between the middle of October to early December when deer mate.

The behavior of the deer changes and if a hunter can adapt to this behavior, it will result in a successful kill.

For hunters, this season is the best time to harvest bucks. The deer becomes active during the daylight hours and making them easier to spot and kill.

During some phases of this season, some bucks might even wander into the open area in a broad daylight.

This is also the season the bucks because more aggressive and can attack humans. It’s best to be cautious during this season and try to stay in a safe spot so that you can get away from their attack.

How Dangerous are Deers to Humans?

Deers are wild animals that are untamed. Though they are not a threat to humans, they can still be under certain circumstances and so have to be treated with respect.

Every year, there are reported cases of humans being attacked by deer which sometimes result in fatality. According to sources, deers are responsible for an average of two deaths every year.

That is minus the number of people hospitalized from injuries resulting from deer attacks.

The sharp antlers on deers can easily penetrate the human body easily.  This can result in fatal injuries to organs or blood vessels that can end up killing the person.

The majority of injuries are been reported after the deer attacks a person with its hooves. Those hooves can cause very hard and serious damage to the person involve.

How to Know If a Deer is going to Attack You?

There are certain unique characteristics that an aggressive deer exhibits before it attacks. The deer makes an aggressive grunt as it prepares to attack you.

The grunting noise is like the deer is removing explosion-like air through its noses.

The hair on the body stands on its end. The deer will then flex its legs and assumes a slightly crouched position.

A matured deer weighs about 200Ibs and measures about six feet long. It’s strong enough to knock its target to the ground.

Mostly, bucks use their antlers and can to attack. Sometimes too, they can use their hooves while standing on their hind legs. This type of attack can be fatal.

What To Do If A Deer Approaches You: Surviving a Deer Attack

Prevention is better than cure. If you can avoid deer attacks as much as possible it’s the best decision. But if in some rare situation you find yourself with a dangerous deer, you have to keep your cool and make good decisions.

One of the ways to avoid their attack is to slowly back away if you see a deer taking an aggressive posture. If you can quickly get out of the area without the deer chasing you better.

In this case, it might just be that the poor deer is protecting its territory, and if you back off quick enough you won’t face any attack.

In a situation where it is charged at you, you might be able to intimidate the deer to get it to leave you alone. Continue to face the deer and try to appear as large as you can.