(Newser)
– A hunter in Ireland died Tuesday after a pet deer he was feeding attacked him, the Irish Examiner reports. Gerard Withers, described as a “renowned hunter”, was injured and trampled by the deer at the Canis Duhallow Hunt in Liscarroll, according to the Independent Irish, who notes that male deer become aggressive during the breeding season, which runs from September to December. Deer and other animals are often kept in kennels so that hunting dogs become familiar with them and do not chase them during hunts, according to the Examiner.
Withers, married and the father of three young children, was found after friends became concerned about him when he did not return from feeding the animal. The 45-year-old man did not answer. He received emergency medical care, but was later declared dead at a local hospital. “It happened out of nowhere,” said a friend to Independent. “You can’t anticipate something like that. We are all devastated. We have lost a good man and a good hunter.” (Read more stories of animal attacks.)