Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are searching for a mule deer buck that attacked a 67-year-old woman outside the door of her home and gored her on Saturday evening.

The attack occurred in the center of Silver Cliff, a town of about 600, located 55 miles west of Pueblo in the Wet Mountain Valley between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. and the Wet Mountains in sparsely populated Custer County.

The victim told CPW officers that she was attacked by a small buck mule deer after leaving the front door of her home. The buck was described as having two spikes on each antler.

Luckily, the victim was able to get back into her home and call her husband for help. She sustained a puncture wound to her left leg and significant bruising on the right leg. She was taken to a hospital in Pueblo for treatment.

After the attack, two young bucks were seen sparring in the yard, common behavior during the deer rut, or mating season.

“A wildlife officer went to investigate and found a bird feeder in the yard,” said Mike Brown, CPW Area Wildlife Manager in the region. “The victim told a CPW officer that she feeds birds and had thrown out bread earlier that day.”

Brown said there had been no recent reports of aggressive deer in Silver Cliff. He said the nature of the attack – so close to a house – immediately raised concerns that someone had been feeding the deer, causing it to lose its fear of people.

“I believe this is a good example of what happens when deer lose their natural fear of humans,” Brown said. “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.

“We’re glad this woman wasn’t more seriously injured.” 

If found, the deer will be euthanized to prevent future attacks on humans.

Here’s a link to a CPW page that explains why it is illegal, and dangerous, to feed deer and other wildlife.