In a bizarre turn of events, a hunter in Arkansas died after a deer that he shot brutally attacked him near Yellville in Marion County.
66-year-old Thomas Alexander shot a buck with a muzzleloader when he was hunting near Yellville in Marion County, Arkansas.
According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Thomas was found severely injured in the woods on October 22, 2019, with injuries.
He passed away afterward.
According to Keith Stephens, the Chief of Communications of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, this incident is one of the strangest things that have happened in Arkansas.
Keith said, “I’ve worked for the Game and Fish Commission for 20 years, and it’s one of the stranger things that’s happened.”
It is believed that Thomas shot the deer and waited for some time before approaching it to make sure it was dead. But when Thomas came close, the deer got up and attacked him.
The body of Thomas had a number of puncture wounds.
Keith said, “It got back up, and he had several puncture wounds on his body.”
Thomas was hunting alone in the woods, but when he was attacked by the deer, he got to call his family.
The nephew of Alexander found him lying on the ground.
According to a report, the nephew found Alexander on the ground alert and talking, but was slowly getting unwell.
Sadly, Alexander stopped breathing when the paramedics got him to the hospital.
It is still unclear about how Alexander Thomas passed away.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission believe Thomas passed away from puncture wounds or from a heart attack.
Talking about an autopsy, Keith said, “It’s my understanding there’s not going to be an autopsy, so we may never know what actually happened.”
Talking about a similar event, Keith said someone was brutally attacked by a buck 4-years-ago, it was significant, but they survived the brutal attack.
Corp. Joe Dale Purdom from the Game and Fish Commission said hunters approach a deer after they shoot it. But sometimes, the deer jumps, attacks, and runs away. This process could injure hunters.
Corp. Dale said hunters should wait 15 to 30 minutes before approaching a deer after shooting it, just to make sure that it has passed away.
The buck that was shot by Alexander is still missing.