The KSL News YouTube video below could serve as a tease to a “When Animals Attack” documentary. As you’ll see, the action is captured on a doorbell camera.

There’s no need for me to explain the details of the event; those are covered well in the news story. (Viewing tip: Don’t have the volume of your laptop or phone turned up too loud or the woman’s screaming will make you cringe. Trust me!) Watch the video and then check out my comments at the bottom of the page.

It’s understandable why Mrs. Kaynor attempted to strike the mule deer; she was afraid the buck would harm her small dog. You’d think that the dog would be smart enough to hide under the vehicle, where it would be safe, but if it stood in the open barking, then the buck certainly could have pinned it to the driveway with his antlers and quickly killed it.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kaynor are lucky they didn’t suffer worse injuries. Several decades ago I lost a cousin who had a several pet whitetails on his high-fence hobby farm. During the rut, one of his young bucks surprised him when he rounded the corner of a barn, and the buck gored him in the leg. My cousin bled to death in only a few minutes. 

When I rewatched the video, the moment that really caused me to wince occurred at the 1:28 mark. The buck has already knocked Mrs. Kaynor to the ground, and her husband came to the rescue. At that moment, the buck is between the couple, and it is only a few feet away from Mrs. Kaynor as she stands; her back is to the deer. Luckily, the buck is distracted by another dog, because if the buck had rushed Mrs. Kaynor with antlers lowered, it’s likely she would’ve been gored badly in the back of her legs. She could have been killed. 

Of course, the lesson to be learned here is to not approach a wild animal — especially if it has antlers, horns or claws.