58-year-old Liz Royer from Kimberley, British Columbia found herself in a fight with a deer this month as she was going for a run.
Liz was running with her Australian shepherd mix dog who was on a leash. She says her dog did not provoke the deer to attack. The two were simply running together when the deer ran out of a bushy area and charged at them both.
“She probably went about 400 metres towards us,” Liz told Agassiz-Harrison Observer.
Her dog was equally surprised by the charging deer and just stood back barking as her owner took hits to the body from the deer’s hooves.
“She didn’t start barking at the deer until the deer jumped on me, so there was no provoking by my dog at all,” Liz said.
Liz said the deer gashed her open with deep cuts, tore her muscles, and left her with heavy bruises all over her hips, legs, back, and arms.
She could see that the deer had a fawn with it and experts believe that was the reason for the attack – the mother deer was simply trying to protect her young.
Liz is expected to make a slow recovery but she’s very nervous now about going on runs during the fawn season.