Startled deer steals hunter's rifle, absconds with firearm stuck in antlers

Red deer graze in the Highlands on November 26, 2020 in Glen Etive, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

If a hunter can carry a rifle, it only seems fair that the deer should have one too, right?

A hunter in the Czech Republic suffered a strange encounter with a deer last Friday when the animal managed to abscond with a rifle that was slung over his shoulder.

Police say the man, who was hunting in a forested district of the South Bohemian Region, said one of his hunting dogs had startled the nearby deer, causing it to charge straight for him. During the commotion, the deer ripped the hunter’s sleeve and inadvertently snagged the strap of his .22-caliber Hornet rifle in its antlers.

The deer then pranced away, rifle still dangling from its antlers.

The man tried searching for the deer himself before reporting the incident to police. Another hunter had also reported seeing the animal — with the rifle still in its antlers — in a different part of the forest, about a mile from the original scene.

The gun wasn’t loaded at the time, the hunter told police. Nevertheless, he was forced to declare the weapon missing under the Czech Republic’s Firearms and Ammunition Act. Police noted, however, that this declaration is usually made by hunters who accidentally leave their rifles on the hood of their car when driving home from a hunting trip.

Local citizens who may happen to find the gun or spot the deer prancing through the forest with it still stuck in its antlers are being urged to call the authorities.

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