DE PERE, WI (WBAY/CNN) – A Wisconsin man had an unexpected meeting with a young, whitetail buck, who lovingly rubbed against the man’s leg, much to his shock.
Dave Bernarde’s morning workout at West De Pere High School last Wednesday included an unexpected guest outside the weight room.
"Couple of us got off our ellipticals or treadmills and walked outside, and there he was,” Bernarde said.
As an avid hunter, Bernarde knew immediately this young buck was unlike any other deer he’s seen.
"We've encountered deer in the wild. If they even get a sniff of you in the wild, the result is typically at least they're on high alert, and most of the time they're gone,” Bernarde said.
But as Bernarde approached the deer, the buck approached him.
"And then I got up right close to him with my hand out and down goes his head, takes those velvet horns and locked them on my leg and started rubbing away. It was like, 'Oh my God, this is crazy,'" Bernarde said.
After posting the video of his encounter on Facebook, Bernarde learned the buck is somewhat of a celebrity around town.
"Dozens of people have mentioned their encounters. One guy: 'He laid in the backyard of my neighbor and watched me cut lawn,' and 'I petted this deer by St. John's Church,’” Bernarde said.
Bernarde’s encounter, though, will be tough to beat.
"To wrap those horns around my leg and try and rub it like a tree, I just never imagined in my life that I would have an encounter with an animal like that in that way. It just blew me away,” Bernarde said.
Bernarde suspects the deer was fed as a fawn, and now as hunting season approaches, he’s hoping the buck plays it safe and remains within the city limits.
Copyright 2017 WBAY, Dave Bernarde via CNN. All rights reserved.
