A Vernon woman is warning others after a scary encounter with a protective deer Sunday.
Elena Ackovska was hiking to Rattlesnake Point early Sunday morning when a deer came up behind her and her dog.
“We just kind of kept going, and then that's when she kind of started charging us, and I'm like, ‘Okay, she's here more than just to intimidate us,’” said Ackovska.
“Once we kept walking towards Rattlesnake Point, I realized I'm not going to get rid of her. So I kind of saw the bench and went behind the bench."
She thinks there must have been a fawn nearby that the deer was protecting.
BC conservation officers say it’s fawning season right now and deer “will be protective of their newborn fawns.”
Ackovska grabbed a rock, just in case the animal tried to attack her. She said she didn't want to throw something at the animal, but says she felt she needed something to hit the deer with if it were to attack.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt any animal, especially one that may have a tiny baby," she told Castanet.
Ackovska called her husband to come help her and he showed up with his mountain bike. He held his bike over his head to scare the deer while they backed away.
Even still, she says, the animal was trying to intimate the duo and their dog.
“She was still trying to kind of intimidate us as we were trying to back away and walk back down,” said Ackovska. “And then eventually we lost her. She ended up staying away.”
She’s warning others of the protective deer at Rattlesnake Point, so people might think twice before venturing into the area. She says even though she was on the trail, she recognizes that she was in the deer's home and doesn’t want any harm to come to it.
The whole encounter, she says, took over half an hour. Both her and her dog made it home safe.
BC Conservation Officer Services encourages reporting any dangerous wildlife interactions so it can monitor the situation and intervene if necessary.
Reports can be made by calling 1 877 952-RAPP (7277) or visiting the website.
