Deer Attacks Woodland Park Woman Inside Her Home

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (CBS4) - Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating after a woman was attacked by a deer inside her Woodland Park home. Officials believe neighbors may have fed the deer illegally, causing the animal to lose its natural fear of humans.

CPW was called to the 77-year-old woman's home on Tuesday afternoon. Officers said the woman had propped open a door to bring in groceries when a mature doe followed her inside.

"She said she turned to find herself face-to-face with the large deer, which seemed quite comfortable inside the home. In fact, it started eating food in her kitchen as the woman tried to get it back outside," CPW stated in a news release.

The woman tried throwing objects at the deer's hooves, but it wouldn't retreat. At one point, the woman said the deer reared up and began hitting her back with its hooves.

The woman tried to push the deer outside, but it ran back into the house as she tried to close the door. Wildlife officials said the woman used a mop to shove the deer outside and close the door.

The attack left the woman with multiple scratches, cuts and bruises. She told CPW that the deer would return in the morning because her neighbors feed it.

CPW says it is a violation of state law to feed deer. When deer and other wildlife become used to people, they can become aggressive and dangerous, officials said.

"This deer showed no fear of the woman and was quite comfortable entering her home. And when our officer responded to the scene, it approached within a few feet. This tells me the deer was far too comfortable around people. Dangerously comfortable. It viewed humans as a source of getting food," said Cody Wigner, CPW assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region.

The doe was in the victim's yard the next morning when the CPW officer returned to the home. The woman was able to identify the deer by its unique markings, officials said.

The wildlife officer humanely euthanized the deer and sent its body to a lab for a necropsy. CPW says deer attacks are becoming more common in Colorado, especially in areas where the human population is growing.

A deer attacked a woman in Black Forest in November and a 5-year-old boy in Colorado Springs in June. In 2017, CPW says a 72-year-old was seriously injured in a deer attack in Black forest.

"This is why it is illegal to feed deer and why we urge people to make them feel uncomfortable in neighborhoods," Wigner said. "The issue is far more serious than ruined landscaping or even the car wrecks deer cause on a daily basis on our roads."

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