A bowhunter in Oregon was killed when an elk he had wounded charged at him and gored him in the neck with its antlers on Sunday, according to authorities. The elk was wounded and lying for an entire night. The next day, when the hunter went searching for it, the elk rose from the ground and charged at the man, killing him instantly.
Police launched an investigation and found that it was a freak accident that killed the hunter. Following that the elk was killed and its meat was donated to the Tillamook County Jail. Last year, two people were seriously injured after an elk violently attacked a woman in Estes Park, Colorado.
Freak Accident
Mark David, 66, from Hillsboro was hunting on private property in Tillamook on Saturday when he wounded a bull elk. However, he was unable to locate the 5X5 bull elk as it was getting dark, so he decided to search for it the next day, Oregon State Police said. On Sunday, David along with the landowner began searching search for the wounded bull and spotted it around 9.15 am. David then realized that the elk hadn't died and attempted to kill it with his bow once again.
However, the wounded elk realized that David was coming towards it and charged at him, goring him in the neck with its antlers, police said. "The landowner attempted to help David but he sustained fatal injuries and died," Oregon State Police said.
Dangerous Encounter
The Oregon State police said that David succumbed to his injuries soon after. Following that, an investigation was launched and the elk was killed. Oregon State Police were assisted by the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office, Tillamook Fire and Rescue, and the Tillamook County Medical Examiner. The meat was later donated to the inmates of the Tillamook County Jail.
Archery elk hunting season opens in late August and runs about 30 days until late September, in this area. However, it is also the mating season. The mating season called an elk rut, generally takes place between early September and mid-October. During this period, bull elks "announce their availability" to females and challenge competing males, according to the National Park Service.
Bull elks become extremely dangerous and aggressive ahead of the mating season. David despite being an expert hunter knew that but was unfortunate on that day. Last September, two people were injured after an elk violently charged at a woman in Estes Park, Colorado.
