North Carolina Officials Warn That Dangerous Deer Attacks Are on the Rise in the State  By Kelli Bender

North Carolina is seeing a rise in deer attacks, which are concerning officials seeking to protect both animals and humans.

On Dec. 1, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) released a statement about the alarming increase in deer attacks in the state. According to the release, there have been numerous reported incidents of deer attacking people and dogs in 2025, affecting six counties: Rockingham, Randolph, Wilkes, Onslow, Iredell, and Cherokee.

The NCWRC noted that one particularly gruesome incident occurred on November 6, involving a 70-year-old who was left hospitalized after being gored by a male deer near her mailbox. The agency said there is a common thread among many of the 2025 deer attacks: deer fed or illegally raised by humans.

“Deer that lose their fear of humans can act in abnormal ways,” April Boggs Pope, a deer scientist, said in a statement about North Carolina’s deer attacks. “That male deer that seemed fine or friendly during the rest of the year can become dangerously aggressive during the rut. A male fawn that is treated like a pet can become a danger as an adult when hormones surge during mating season. Deer antlers and hooves can inflict serious injuries.”

According to the NCWRC, several recorded deer attacks in North Carolina in 2025 involved animals at least partially desensitized to human interaction, including an Oct. 21 attack by an illegally raised buck that left a woman scraped, punctured, and bruised. The agency also noted that a deer that was being fed by residents of a subdivision later killed someone’s pet dog.

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The NCWRC continued its release with a reminder that in North Carolina, “it is unlawful to hold most native wildlife, including mammals and wild birds, for amusement or companionship purposes.” Deer are among the wild animals illegal to own in North Carolina. The only way a resident can lawfully own a deer is through a wildlife captivity license issued by NCWRC, which is only authorized for those using the animals for scientific, educational, or exhibition purposes.

While feeding wild deer is not illegal in most parts of North Carolina, NCWRC advises against hand-feeding deer due to the potential danger it poses to others.

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“Attempting to domesticate a wild deer creates safety concerns for people, and it rarely ends well for the deer,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, a game mammals and surveys supervisor in North Carolina. “People trying to tame wild deer may think they are doing the deer a favor, but they are putting the deer at higher risk of malnourishment and poor health, as the artificial foods provided by residents don’t contain the diverse nutrition needed by wild deer that they can get from natural foods. And if the deer attacks a person, as we have seen several times this year, it will be euthanized.”

To help prevent more deer attacks, the NCWRC recommends contacting the N.C. Wildlife Helpline if someone is illegally raising a deer or for help on how to safely deal with human-deer conflicts.