Duluth Hiker Comes Across Buck Chasing Doe In Rut And Things Get Scary

I saw this video posted from last weekend where a man has a close call with an 8-point buck. According to his description, he was hiking near Enger Tower in Duluth when a doe came running by him just feet away. That's when a buck came up and started acting aggressively.

The encounter happened on November 5, which coincidentally was the Minnesota firearm opener for deer season. The person started filming when the deer came up to him. Fortunately, he identified an escape route, because bucks can be aggressive, especially during the rut.

You can see the buck lock eyes on the hiker. These deer are obviously not easily spooked They must be some city deer that are used to humans being around.

The buck continues to follow the doe, coming even closer to the hiker. He steps behind a branch and says to the buck, "I don't want you, you're good, you're good." Trying to let the deer know he's not a threat.

It appears that the deer is only 10 yards away. That's really close! I would be a little worried about the rack of antlers coming at me. People have been killed by deer attacks before, believe it or not. Buck antlers can gore someone, and they are strong animals too. Rut, also known as the deer mating season, begins in the fall as temperatures cool. Bucks get aggressive, often fighting other bucks for dominance. That's why you see bucks fighting each other with their antlers. Just a couple of weeks ago two bucks were found dead floating in a lake with their antlers stuck together in Minnesota. It's crazy!

Get our free mobile app

Fortunately, this buck loses interest in the hiker when the doe starts walking again. He even says he can smell the buck scent, he's that close. However, the doe turned and headed in the direction of the hiker. You can hear him say, No! Don't come this way!

The buck and doe head off, and the hiker continues on the trail. A short time later he sees another buck that's not far away, explaining probably why the first buck was so hot on her tail.

You can see the harbor from his vantage point looking down on West End, Duluth. It's pretty awesome that we have this wildlife right in town to enjoy.

I've deer hunted for years, and I've never had deer behave like this near me. If they see me, they are gone in a split second. So it's pretty neat that he was able to capture this stuff on video, and not get too close to get hurt!