Colorado man attacked by deer that may have been hand-raised by people
Deer are generally docile, skittish creatures, but a man in Colorado has learned that’s not always the case. A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a 911 call by a couple that reported seeing a “friendly deer” wearing a fluorescent orange collar behind the fence line of their property.
The wife says she reached out her hand and the deer touched her finger with its nose before coming into their yard at a break in the fence line. The deer then walked up to the woman and knocked into her, pinning her against a barbwire fence. When the husband intervened the deer attacked him, knocking him down and dragging him around the yard. The wife ran inside to call 911 and shot a pellet gun in the direction of the deer, allowing the husband to escape and hide behind a boat. The 56-year-old man sustained injuries from the buck’s antlers and was treated at a local hospital.
Wildlife officials believe that the deer had been raised by humans and was released into the wild after those that were caring for it could no longer handle the animal. After the attack, officials learned that the deer had earlier approached another man and “attempted to push him around” while he was doing yard work. The deer also chased a 10-year-old boy. That attack was thwarted when a driver pulled his car in between the deer and the child.
You can earn college credit for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail
Students at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia can earn college credits while hiking the Appalachian Trail, thanks to the college’s Semester-A-Trail Program. The innovative program is the only one in the U.S. offering college credit to students thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail or undertaking shorter section hikes on the A.T. Students may transfer in from any college to participate in the program and then return to their original institute of higher learning with the credits they received during their hike.
In addition to undertaking a long and challenging hike, those participating in the Semester-A-Trail Program will also complete a wilderness first aid course and participate in skill-building workshops and training. Backpacking gear, footwear, a hiking budget and on-trail support from program staff are all included in the program.
New speed record set on Arizona Trail
There’s a new speed record on the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile footpath that extends from the Utah-Arizona border to the Arizona-Mexican border. Englishman Joshua Perry clocked nearly 55 miles a day to complete the trail in 14 days, 12 hours and 21 minutes.
Perry says that along the way he crossed paths with a mountain lion as well as smaller creatures like tarantulas, snakes and scorpions. To keep his energy up he ate every 30 minutes, consuming 8,000 calories per day. “The desert Southwest is incredible,” Perry told azfamily.com. “I’ll definitely be back there.”
