Officials: Hunter did not die solely from deer attacking him

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas authorities say a hunter who died after a deer he’d shot attacked him had pre-existing medical conditions that contributed to his death.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on Thursday said a preliminary report from the Baxter County coroner shows that 66-year-old Thomas Alexander’s death was not caused solely by the deer attack. The agency did not say what medical conditions Anderson had.

Alexander shot a buck with a muzzleloader while hunting Oct. 22 near Yellville, an area in the Ozark Mountains about 105 miles (170 kilometres) north of Little Rock. A commission spokesman last week said the deer attacked Alexander when the hunter approached the animal to see if it was dead. Alexander had multiple puncture wounds. He died at a hospital.