Testosterone-fueled Buck Gores Georgia Man Trying to Scare It With Broom

A testosterone-fueled buck gored a man in Georgia as he tried to scare off the hand-reared animal with a broom. The man, from Newton County, spent eight hours in the ER after the attack, requiring stitches to his forearm.

Footage shared by the Wildlife Resources Division – Georgia DNR shows the moment the young buck charged the man and pushed him to the ground.

There are an estimated 1.27 million deer living in Georgia, but this does not include those living in urban and suburban areas. These deer move into residential areas because they provide a safe habitat and food. However, their presence can pose a risk to humans and deer.

In some cases, predators follow the deer into urban areas, bringing animals like coyotes and bears in close contact with people.

In other cases, such as in Newton County, people start treating deer, which are wild animals, as pets. As a result, they lose their natural fear of people, and attacks can occur.

Deer often leave their young alone for long stretches of time as they go off to feed. People often mistakenly think fawns have been abandoned and take them away, and sometimes keep them as pets.

"Honestly, the issue at hand is not about urban deer, but about people attempting to tame a deer," a Georgia DNR spokesperson told Newsweek. "In Georgia, it is illegal to raise and/or keep wild deer as pets. You must be licensed to rehabilitate wildlife and it is an intricate process. When people take a fawn thinking it is 'orphaned,' not knowing that a doe typically leaves it alone for extended periods of time, they often handle the animal incorrectly, sometimes resulting in a life in captivity or even death."

In the latest footage from Georgia DNR, the man with the broom was not aware that the young buck had been hand reared. The deer had come into a resident's garden and had been attacking their patio grill.

The man had gone outside to try to help scare it away from the property. Had the buck not been hand reared, it would have fled the property as soon as the resident had gone outside.

However, the buck did not leave. Instead it charged the man and gored him. Georgia DNR said the man had no intention of hurting the deer with the broom.

"While this buck had shown no prior aggression, he was a recognized guest among area residents," the division wrote in a Facebook post. "As a growing fawn, the act of feeding and interacting with this deer seemed harmless. However, as the buck matured, the testosterone kicked in.

"As testosterone levels rise, antlers mineralize and harden and bucks increase their sparring frequency and intensity to establish dominance and breeding rights. In the wild, deer ensure their distance from humans. Once that fear of people has dissipated, however, an aggressive, testosterone-filled buck can become extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, we see situations such as this occur every year."

The Georgia DNR spokesperson said that because the deer in the video had lost its fear of humans and it displayed aggression, it was humanely euthanized. "While it seems 'harmless' to feed and interact with deer fawns, you are doing a disservice to the animal and to your community," they said. "These young deer will grow up and mature, and a testosterone-filled buck or an adult doe that is unafraid of people is not 'harmless,' it is dangerous and can inflict serious injury.

"We respond to several instances of people feeding deer and keeping deer as pets across the state every year. We do believe that there are many more out there that are never reported to us."

Keeping a deer as a pet in Georgia carries a penalty of up to $1,000 and a year in jail. Georgia DNR said anyone who sees a tame or pet deer should contact them on a ranger hotline.

"While you may hesitate to call due to the potential for the animal to be euthanized, please know that you are doing the right thing," the post said. "It reduces the risk of human injury, improper care and treatment of the animal, and disease transmission."

Update 10/37 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from a Georgia DNR spokesperson.