MISSOULA, Mont. \u2014 Summer in Montana is a season to be savored. For residents, it\u2019s a short stretch of warm weather that’s perfect for enjoying the outdoors. However, for Montana\u2019s wildlife like deer and bears, it’s a critical time.<\/p>\n
As Montanans spend more time outside, they often find themselves in closer contact with animals whose behavior may not always be cute and harmless.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not uncommon this time of year to see fawns wobbling through front yards or across bike paths. But as one Missoula man recently found out, those sweet, wide doe eyes can come with a startling twist.<\/p>\n
Tim Fuery says he’s heard many jokes about ‘urban deer.’ Particularly the unusually bold deer often seen near the University of Montana.<\/p>\n
However, in June, his experience turned serious and painful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m surprised I don\u2019t remember being hit,\u201d Tim recalled. \u201cAnd I\u2019m surprised that for about two weeks, I kept the song \u2018Grandpa Got Run Over by a Reindeer\u2019 stuck in my head, it just kept haunting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
What began as a regular dog walk ended in a sudden and aggressive attack by a doe that was most likely protecting a hidden fawn nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust walking down the street, my dog was on a leash, and all of a sudden I was on the ground,\u201d Tim said.<\/p>\n
He said the doe was hiding behind a parked truck before it blindsided him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m blocking this deer from hitting me in the face, I put my arm up. I\u2019m on my back, kicking at it, yelling. I tried to crawl backward while still on the ground. She kept after me. Finally, after about 10 or 15 feet, I was able to stand. Even then, she still kept coming. I\u2019m swinging, yelling. I got all the way to the crosswalk before she finally gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only then did Tim spot a small fawn across the street in an alley, which was likely the reason for the mother\u2019s fierce behavior.<\/p>\n
We reached out to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) to understand why these encounters are becoming more common and dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cDogs are an extra threat to deer,\u201d said Vivica Crowser, a spokesperson for FWP. \u201cSo keeping your dog close, keeping it on a leash and just being aware. If you see a doe, even if you don\u2019t see a fawn, assume there\u2019s probably a fawn nearby and maybe take a different direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
From mid-May through early August, deer are especially protective of their young. This natural instinct can be triggered simply by walking a dog, which they perceive as predators.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s not just fawn protection. When people feed deer, whether intentionally or by leaving out food, it can lead to more aggressive behavior.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we have people feeding deer, it quickly concentrates them,\u201d Crowser explained. \u201cThat not only means more aggressive deer in a particular area, but also invites other predators, like mountain lions, who prey on deer.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also worth noting that feeding wildlife is illegal in Montana.<\/p>\n
If you ever find yourself facing an angry doe, here\u2019s what wildlife experts recommend:<\/p>\n
Carry bear spray. Officials say it\u2019s effective on deer, elk, and moose, not just bears.<\/p>\n
Back away slowly. Create distance without appearing threatening.<\/p>\n
Use your spray if necessary. If the deer continues to come at you, deploy your bear spray.<\/p>\n
If you don’t have bear spray, run. Unlike predators such as mountain lions or bears, deer don\u2019t chase for the kill. They\u2019re simply trying to drive you away from their young.<\/p>\n
Montana\u2019s natural beauty often comes with wild surprises. So as summer continues, keep your eyes open, your dog leashed and your bear spray handy because you never know when one of those deer might decide you\u2019re too close for comfort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MISSOULA, Mont. \u2014 Summer in Montana is a season to be savored. For residents, it\u2019s a short stretch…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":77475,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[13306,53607,53608,42200,29903,13668,159,67,132,50707,68,837],"class_list":{"0":"post-77474","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-aggressive-behavior","9":"tag-bear-spray","10":"tag-dog-leash","11":"tag-fawn","12":"tag-missoula","13":"tag-montana","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-urban-deer","18":"tag-us","19":"tag-wildlife"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}