Aggressive deer stomps dogs, charges pregnant woman near Colorado Springs

Joey Livingston
Statewide Public Information Officer
303-345-4658 / [email protected]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Yesterday evening, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) responded to an incident northwest of Colorado Springs in unincorporated El Paso County involving an aggressive female deer that stomped on a person's dogs and charged a pregnant woman before her father shot and killed it. 

The woman told CPW that she heard screaming from her fenced-in backyard that turned out to be her 2 dogs getting stomped by a deer. She rushed in to try to scare the deer away when it turned, reared up in its hind legs and charged toward her direction. 

The woman’s father came outside the home and shot the deer with rubber buckshot - a nonlethal hazing round - that CPW had provided in the past to deter bears. The deer ignored the shots, continuing to charge toward the woman as she tried to get away, so her father shot and killed the deer.

Colorado law allows the public to use lethal measures to protect human health and safety from wildlife. CPW investigated the details of this case and did not issue a citation for this incident.

This incident follows an unprecedented third cow elk attack in Estes Park this year.

“Deer, elk and moose can become aggressive in the late spring and early summer when their young are first born and defenseless,” said Tim Kroening, CPW’s Area Wildlife Manager for the Pikes Peak region. “The majority of aggressive behavior from these animals in some way involves a dog, who they see as a predator and threat to their young.”

After the incident, a fawn believed to belong to the deer was located nearby and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility where it will be raised and released back into the wild. 

A fence taller than 6 feet is needed to keep deer out and CPW recommends keeping your pets on a leash at all times when outdoors. CPW recommends canvassing the area first and staying outside with them at all times.

CPW also says to teach your children to avoid wildlife and keep a close eye on them when they are outdoors.

“Thankfully no one was hurt.” Kroening said. “This incident serves as a reminder to watch for wildlife and keep a close eye on your children and pets.”

Learn more about living with wildlife on CPW’s website. 

Leave young wildlife alone
CPW reminds the public to leave young wildlife alone, especially young fawns. Mother deer will leave their fawns in one location for hours at a time. It is common for people to find them, think they are abandoned and pick them up thinking they are doing the right thing. Picking up and moving a fawn can lead to the mother not knowing where it is and actually abandoning it.

If you see a baby animal you believe to be abandoned, call your local wildlife office so CPW's trained staff can assess the situation and provide information and directions. If the animal is truly abandoned CPW will do what they can to assist. Understand that wildlife rehabilitation facilities have limited capacity and resources so human intervention is a last resort.