Julius Dunsmore, 69, was charged with illegally possessing the deer by enforcement officers from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, according to Kevin Dodd, enforcement chief with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Fines vary for the offense and can be as much as $500 per count, Dodd said.
The deer were then confiscated and euthanized because, once held by humans, they cannot be reintroduced to the wild, Dodd said.
"Illegally held captive deer in Alabama have caused numerous serious injuries and one fatality in recent years," he said.
Blood from the deer was sent for testing for diseases. Results of laboratory tests are pending.
According to a press release, "when Dunsmore entered the holding pen, a large buck attacked him. In addition to numerous puncture wounds and extensive bruises, Dunsmore suffered a loss of vision in one eye."
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, or WFF, prohibits keeping most types of wildlife in captivity "for several reasons, public safety being foremost. Even small wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks and foxes can carry a wide variety of parasites and pathogens that can prove fatal to domestic animals and humans," Dodd said.
Domesticated deer pose serious threats to the public, he said, especially when bucks become combative during breeding season. "At certain times of the year, it's natural for bucks to fight among themselves," Dodd said. "When you put them in captivity, they do the same thing with humans. Does can also inflict serious injuries by kicking."
Dodd says reintroducing domesticated deer into the wild is not an option as they normally return to inhabited areas where human conflicts occur.
He said evidence indicates that some of Dunsmore's deer came from Tennessee and at least one came from Guntersville State Park. Illegally importing deer from other states puts native deer populations at risk by potentially introducing pathogens and diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease.
"No Alabama deer has tested positive for CWD and we want to keep it that way," Dodd said. "Preventing the importation of deer from other states is one way to do that."
Updated at 11:10 a.m. Nov. 8, 2013, to change the photo from stock art to one of the deer involved in the attack.
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