Friday, November 12, 2004
NORTH VERNON, Ind. (AP) -- When hunter Jim Mick went into the forest to bag himself a deer, he never expected to come out empty-handed -- and badly bruised.
The 69-year-old bowhunter was treated for injuries he said he suffered during a wrestling match with an angry buck. Mick, of North Vernon, said the deer attacked him Monday while he was hunting alone in south-central Indiana.
"He came out of the tall grass and briars," said Mick. "When I realized it, he was on me already."
Mick said the animal, which weighed about 150 pounds, struck him in the chest and knocked him to the ground, goring him in the thigh. "All I had time to do was throw my hands up and grab his antlers," he said.
After about a 10-minute struggle, Mick said he managed to put a tree between himself and the deer, and the animal retreated. Mick put a makeshift bandage on his leg and returned to his vehicle to call family members for help, he said.
"It was probably a draw, but I think I got the worst of it," Mick said. "I don't think he had any gouge marks on him."