Indiana Hunter Gored By Wounded Deer, Dies

by Staff Report • November 18, 2011 • 23 comments

Indiana Fish & Wildlife Authorities will never know exactly what happened, but it appears a wounded Hoosier State buck gored Paul J. Smith, 62, when the hunter tried to finish the deer off with his knife.

Details were released in an Indiana DNR report:

According to Conservation Officer Erick Bolt of DNR Law Enforcement, Smith called his son shortly after 9 a.m. and left a voice message that he’d shot a buck. When Smith’s son returned the called around 10:30 a.m., Smith told him that after descending from his treestand to field dress and tag the deer, he discovered the deer was still alive. Smith told his son he scuffled with the deer before killing it with a knife.

Cpl. Bolt said Smith called park officials by cell phone at about 12:30 p.m. to request help in transporting a deer to the reduction hunt check-in station.

A park employee who went to retrieve the deer found Smith unconscious and seated against a tree and relayed Smith’s condition to park officials. Chain O’Lakes property manager Sam Boggs and Indiana Conservation Officer Darren Reed immediately responded. Reed was off duty but at the park as a participant in the deer reduction hunt.

Reed and Boggs attempted to revive Smith with a portable defibrillator but got no response. They initiated CPR until EMS first responders arrived and pronounced Smith dead at the scene.

The coroner’s autopsy revealed lacerations on Smith’s liver that were in line with internal bruising and likely the cause of death.

In Featured, Hunting, Whitetail • Tagged ,
  • Hunter

    I feel so sorry for him I like to hunt with my father but I always sit with him because I am only 9 years old if somthing like this happend to my father I would hunt that deer down and blow a hole in to it with my father's or my uncal's 25.06 the same way my uncal did by blowing close to the hole entire leg off the coyote that was about 14 yards away.But I would aim for the head.

  • Jimbo

    That's why it's called a blood sport. And it's not always the wild game that bleeds. The deer was defending itself, as nature intended. Or it was a reflex from being shot and then stabbed. Fair chase is supposed to be the name of the game.

  • billybob

    Really "Jimbo"? The only thing that hunter did wrong was not shooting it again to finish him off. I don't think you understand what "fair chase" means.

    • ed1

      Correct, the hunter broke a classic rule. Never approach a wounded animal, stand off and finish it.

    • rumen

      right on brother, what is this joker talking about?

  • Richard

    That's just plain sad. We hunters worry gun accidents, a heart attack in the woods while hauling out a deer and falling out of our stands. I've always tried to stay clear of a deer if it hasn't quite expired, especially if its got antlers. But, just last week I was doing the identical thing, sticking a deers heart to finish him. Maybe another shot would be smarter next time.

    • kenny

      yea thats for sure.the knife thing does not make since to me. but we all make mistakes thats forsure.so sorry for him and his family.

  • Bob

    We love animals and some times get confused, a deer is prey, we are a predator. Fair chase is good, but never confuse the value of a human with the value of an animal, there is a great difference.

  • dave

    Why not shoot the animal if he shows any sign of life. Richard has used up his luck for sure . A whitetail is so strong and put all that force on a point of an antler and it can be fatal , obviously . Even pheasants or turkeys can do serious harm . Those who take hunters safety know this . So sad when an oversight costs you your life . Any boxer knows how much a liver punch hurts . Not a good way to go !! Be careful out there .

  • Ryan

    This is very sad to hear and hits close to home with me. I had a very large buck charge me a few weeks back. Luckily the deer had a broken leg and didn't make it to me before falling again. I've been hunting for 23 years, so I knew better than to approach a wounded deer. The adrenaline got the best of me that day, but luckily I escaped with a valuable lesson learned first hand. Do not approach a wounded wild animal without taking the proper precautions! The deer wanted to kill me and I could see this in his eyes. They will fight when cornered! Be careful!

  • McBeth

    I've been taught to approach any "dead" animal as wounded and ready to fire a dispatch round. I try to prod or poke the animal until I'm satisfied that it is indeed dead.

    • Soljerblue

      Ditto! Absolutely the way to do it in my opinion. In all the years I've hunted, both deer and bear, I have always, without fail, put a second round into the base of the neck where it joins the spine from a distance of about ten feet. If the animal is already dead, fine. If only wounded, it is quick and humane, and — most important — safe for the hunter.

      The first time I hunted bear — in the Mont Laurier region of Quebec — our guide made clear that if a bear was down and appeared dead, we should wait 30 minutes before approaching the animal. It seemed a long time, but I wasn't going to debate the matter. I shot. The bear went down and stayed there. I waited the half hour, and still used that second round as described above. It's good insurance any time.

  • rumen

    Poor judgement and poor decisions are the main ingredients for a death by misadventure. A bad call in the woods can cost you, Poor guy paid dearly. Was he out of bullets or arrows? Was there any other option? I watch them as far as I can see when they run, and listen for them to crash and go down. Even then, If they dont die within sight, I wait an hour during bow and a half hour in gun season before taking up their trail. If the buck didnt get up and run away when he approached, it is because it was unable to….. Maybe he could have just waited a little longer for it to die.

  • Uncle Buck from PA

    Whether it was the excitement of shooting a buck or the desire not to ruin more venison that may have clouded his judgment, a mistake was made that proved fatal for this hunter. Regardless, this is a tragic loss of human life. Be safe out there!

  • mike hilberath

    Watch any outdoor channel show and the first thing the professionals do is poke the animal in the eye to make sure it is dead. This is a lesson to all!!!

  • mark murphy

    Do NOT poke in the eye. A wounded animal chargers straight ahead . Approach from behind ONLY.

    • Soljerblue

      Yes!

  • chiefen

    Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear(deer) get you.

  • glelief

    I feel very sorry that this hunter lost his life. Most of the time we don't get second chances and especially when the adrenalin is running high. We have to be safe out there and make sure the animal is dead before we approach always. I have to admit that many a time a have shot deer where they have not died right away and I am always afraid that they might come at me if I get too close. I always shoot it again if it is still moving before I approach it.

  • GOD@CONFEDRACY

    We hunters are all part of nature and love what we do but none can plan for the unexpectd. To the family if they find this, I just lot my father and kow God can help you threw this . As afellow hunter God bless ya'll ,and keep us all safe in the woods your father probely loved so.

  • Indiana C.O.

    The headline is a bit misleading, the hunter was not "gored" by the deer, he was kicked so hard in the stomach that it ruptured his liver and he bled out internally. There were no open wounds that would have indicated that the deer gored him or even struck him with his antlers. It is an unfortunate tragedy and a good reminder to make sure a down deer is dead before you approach it.

  • Indiana C.O.

    Here are some good ways to make sure that a deer is dead:
    1. Are the eyes open or closed? If the eyes are closed, the deer isn't dead.
    2. Look at the chest, is it rising and falling?
    3. Look at the nose, if it is cold outside, you will see puffs of steam coming out if the deer is still alive and breathing. If it isn't cold, look at the grass, leaves or weeds in front of the nose, are the blades moving?
    If in doubt, shoot it again.

  • Little Blue Dress

    This is really awesome. If you try to kill an animal then you get what you deserve. I think guns should be banned to give the deer a chance to defend itself, and hunters should only be allowed to use knives. Fair is fair!