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73-year-old woman cited for raising deer that gored neighbor

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 73-year-old Colorado woman was cited with two misdemeanors after she raised a deer that gored her neighbor.

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Tynette Housley told Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers she took a days-old fawn into her home and raised it for more than a year.

According to officials, Housley initially kept the animal in her house and later moved it into her garage before moving it to a larger area on her property.

Authorities said the deer, a buck with two-pronged antlers, attacked a neighbor as she walked her dog Friday morning.

The woman told officials the deer followed her, then knocked her down and attacked her with its antlers for several minutes.

She said she tried to run to her house, but the buck repeatedly knocked her down and gored her, continuing the attack as she made it to her house and opened her garage door.

She told wildlife officers the deer only stopped when she positioned herself in between two vehicles in the garage.

The buck was euthanized after it aggresively approached a wildlife officer who arrived at the scene, according to a news release.

The woman was hospitalized overnight and treated for serious lacerations to her head, cheek and legs.

Tests on the deceased deer found Housley had been feeding the animal hay, grain, corn and possibly potato.

“We can’t say it enough: Wild animals are not pets,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife area manager Frank McGee said in a statement Monday. “Feeding deer habituates them to humans. They lose their fear of humans and that leads to these outcomes that are tragic for both wildlife and people. Injured and orphaned wildlife should be taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitators.”

Housley was charged with illegal possession of wildlife and illegally feeding wildlife. Her misdemeanors carry fines totaling $1,098.50. She was also issued a warning for possessing live wildlife without a license.