• prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    28 days ago

    I know deer are generally pretty skittish, and not aggressive towards people, but would there ever be a situation where someone should be worried about getting gored by those antlers if you’re too close?

    • 0485@lemmy.worldOP
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      28 days ago

      I don’t know. I have been walking these woods for 30 years and all throughout my life the deers have been here roaming and people feed them almost daily. They are really super friendly and not scared at all of people.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        28 days ago

        Good to know… I just look at those antlers and my first instinct is “nope,” even though I know that they’re usually pretty gentle. They’re still wild animals, and can do unpredictable things.

    • GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml
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      28 days ago

      I can’t speak for this particular species, but whitetail deer in North America do sometimes attack people. They’ll often use their front legs to batter people with smacks. It looks funny, but those hooves are sharp.

      It’s not common enough that I would be afraid to be near them, though. When I lived in a national forest, our yard was on a game trail. There was a resident herd of deer that I saw daily, and I had a manger style feeder for them. They’d get very close to me, including this huge, gorgeous buck with a great set of antlers. I never once felt scared or threatened by them.

      Freak accidents happen, but if you respect nature your chances of having a bad time are much smaller.