FLORISSANT, Colo. -- A 63-year-old woman trying to pet a male mule deer, or buck, was gored by it near Florissant on Monday, the Department of Wildlife said.

Joan Nutt was at her sister's home at 893 County Road 31, around 5 p.m., when the attack occurred.

Nutt was transported to the Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center in Woodland Park where she was treated for large cuts caused by the buck's antlers and hooves. Most injuries were to her elbow and lower arm, but she also had cuts and bruises on her hands, upper leg, stomach, and hip, the DOW said.

Nutt's sister's family said they were familiar with the buck, which was a frequent visitor to their property.

Nutt said she had gone out in the yard to call the deer so she could pet it. When the deer got close it lowered its head and charged at her, she said.

She grabbed hold of an antler to try to fend it off, but it knocked her down before she could run away.

A driver on County Road 31 spotted the deer stomping her and stopped to help. The passer-by was able to scare the deer off and contact the Teller County Sheriff's Office.

When medical services arrived, they reported the buck continued to come back to the area while they were tending to the woman.

"We had to constantly harass it away from us," one of the paramedics said.

A Teller County Sheriff's deputy reported the young buck with a broken left antler remained on scene while DOW officers were en route.

When DOW officer Aaron Flohrs arrived, he said the deer walked within a few feet of him. Given what the buck had done to the woman, Flohrs prepared to defend himself and the buck backed away.

"There was no direct evidence Nutt was feeding the animal, but this deer's behavior was a clear indication that someone in the area had tried to domesticate a wild deer and treat it as a pet," said Flohrs.

The deer was tranquilized and later euthanized because it was deemed a threat to human safety. It was sent to the DOW wildlife health lab in Fort Collins for examination.

"No matter how many times authorities warn people about the dangers of feeding wildlife, some well intentioned people do it, and end up getting injured when the animal turns on them," said Shaun Deeney of the DOW. "In this case, Mrs. Nutt was very fortunate a Good Samaritan stopped by to help her. A large buck deer can severely injure, or even worse, kill a person in a few seconds."

"While habituated deer can appear docile, these big game animals are extremely powerful. In almost every case when people try to 'help' wildlife and feed them, it always turns out bad for the animal," said Deeney.

Nutt's brother-in-law, Ervin Stohl, told the DOW this particular buck came to their house every afternoon. He said there is usually a bunch of females nearby.

"There were no does today and the buck was angry," Stohl said Monday.

"Wild animals are not pets, and do not experience feelings of 'friendliness' towards people," Deeney explained.

They will accept food and tolerate humans, but they never actually bond with humans.

"No matter how docile they appear, there is always a threat they will turn on someone."

Wildlife professionals warn that deer or elk can be dangerous anytime, but the males are extremely dangerous when the mating season approaches.

Every year, there are cases of people being injured by deer in the United States.

In September, a 47-year-old woman was injured when she was attacked by an elk near Evergreen, Colo. She spent several days in the hospital with a broken pelvis. The elk involved in the incident could not be located.