Hunter, 66, is gored to death by the deer he thought he’d shot and killed

A DEER hunter has died after a buck that he shot went on to attack him after he thought it was dead.

Thomas Alexander, 66, died near Yellville, Arkansas, on Tuesday, after he had shot the deer with a muzzleloading rifle, according to officials.

Roller Burns Funeral Home

Alexander is believed to have approached the deer he shot, only for the animal to get up and fatally attack him[/caption]

KY3

An official said the attack was ‘one of the stranger things that’s happened’ during his 20 years working with a local wildlife agency[/caption]

When Alexander went to inspect the animal, however, the deer got up, charged at Alexander, and punctured him with its antlers, officials believed.

“I’ve worked for the Game and Fish Commission for 20 years, and it’s one of the stranger things that’s happened,” Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the agency, told KY3.

He added: “I don’t know how long he left it there, but he went up to check it to make sure it was dead. And evidently it wasn’t.

“It got back up, and he had several puncture wounds on his body.”

The exact cause of death remains unclear, as officials said they could not determine whether Alexander died form the injuries sustained from the dear, or an emergency like a heart attack.

After being attacked, Alexander, who was reportedly found by his nephew, contacted a family member, who then called for an ambulance.

Emergency personnel requested an air evacuation, but the hunter stopped breathing and had to be taken to an area hospital, where Alexander, a keen outdoorsman, was pronounced dead.

According to Stephens, hunters who shoot deer are advised to watch a fallen animal for 30 minutes before approaching it – though he did admit officials were not sure how long the 66-year-old had waited before approaching the animal.

Joe Purdom of the Game and Fish Commission told CNN that he doubted the injuries were a result of poor hunting practice, as Alexander was experienced and had lived in Yellville for more than 20 years.

The deer has not been seen since the attack, Purdom added.

Kim Killingsworth, a friend, wrote in an online tribute: “My heart is broken as this world has lost a very beautiful man.

“I did have a great opportunity to hunt and fish with Tom a couple of times and enjoyed hunting on his property several times.

“He was a kind and sweet man and I know he was a wonderful father and grandfather.”

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Alexander, a grandfather, was an experienced hunter and had lived in the area for more than 20 years[/caption]