Several Hunters Injured After “Vampire Deer” Attacks in South Arkansas

Arkansas game officials say that at least 6 hunters were injured over the weekend after being attacked by what is described as a “vampire deer” across south Arkansas.

The attacks came from Chicot, Drew, Bradley, and Ouachita Counties on the opening weekend of modern gun deer season in Arkansas. All hunters report a similar experience of walking out of the woods shortly after sundown when the attack happened.

“It was just getting dark. I climbed down from my stand and walked about 50 yards when I heard a rustle behind me,” a Poison Springs State Forrest victim Daniel Molloy tells us. “Before I could turn around I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. All I was able to see was a flash of a medium sized buck with two large fangs coming from his mouth.”

Doctors at area hospitals say that all but one patient is expected to be released this week. The remaining patient has requested extra medical test to rule out ebola after reading about local deer bites causing the disease. 

Game officials say that the deer is most likely a hybrid of a Chinese water deer and a North American white tail deer. The Chinese water deer, while not native to the US, was raised and bred in the South East US in the late 80’s. Experiments in cross breeding with white tail deers were abandon after the hybrid deer showed extreme aggression to bright colors.

“Given the spread and timing of attacks, it appears we are dealing with several deer moving in a herd,” Arkansas Game and Fish commission’s spokesperson Stephen Alexander tells us. “We were under the impression these deer did not exist anymore, but it appears the record number of deer kills this weekend set the animals off. They seem to target in on the bright orange and green worn by hunters.”

Game officials say that over 30,000 deer were killed this weekend across Arkansas, none of which were the hybrid deer leading many to believe that more attacks may follow. Officials are recommending hunters to only hunt in daylight or the traditional way of running over deer with beat up pickup trucks.