Colorado man shoots deer that attacked pregnant daughter and dogs, CPW says

A deer that attacked several dogs and a pregnant woman was shot and killed by a man in southern Colorado on Friday evening, Department of Conservation officials said.

The attack and subsequent shooting were reported in unincorporated El Paso County, northwest of Colorado Springs, where a doe was trampling on dogs. The dog’s pregnant owner screamed and tried to scare the doe away, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The doe then attacked the woman as her father shot her with nonlethal rubber ammunition typically used to scare away bears.

The rubber ammunition was ineffective, CPW says, and the man then shot the deer with live ammunition and killed it.

Officials from the Department of Conservation investigated the incident and concluded that the man had acted to protect his daughter and therefore no charges were filed against him.

CPW believes the doe was protecting her young because a fawn, presumably the adult doe, was found nearby. Game wardens transported the fawn to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

Previously, three elk had attacked people in three separate incidents in Estes Park, a frequency that CPW called “unprecedented.”

“Deer, elk and moose can become aggressive in late spring and early summer when their young are just born and defenseless,” said Tim Kroening, CPW’s wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region. “Most of these animals’ aggressive behaviors are in some way related to a dog, which they view as a predator and a threat to their young.”

While there were apparently no dogs nearby during the first two moose attacks, there were during the third attack on Friday. People were injured in all three moose attacks. No one was injured in Friday’s deer attack, but the family was shaken, CPW said.

“Fortunately, no one was injured,” Kroening said. “This incident is a reminder to be aware of wildlife and keep a watchful eye on children and pets.”