Vancouver Island MLA gets in wrestling match with buck

The buck that attacked Adam Walker and his dog was caught in a tree minutes before the altercation. (Image credit: Adam Walker)

Warning: This story contains an image of an injury that some readers may find disturbing. 

Adam Walker, the MLA for Parksville-Qualicum, is on the mend after getting into a wrestling match with a buck that was attacking his dog.

The incident happened last Thursday at his Qualicum Beach home.

Walker returned home from dropping his kids off at school to find a large buck pinning his yellow lab, Pluto, to the ground.

He jumped in, grabbed the buck by its antlers, and pulled up, freeing Pluto.

"Your dog's a member of the family," says Walker. "You're not thinking, you just jump straight into action."

The 90 kilogram wild animal then directed his attention at Walker, and they tussled for about 20 minutes.

Walker was gored in the leg during the tussle, and Pluto suffered a number of wounds to his stomach.

"I’ve never seen a deer this aggressive," added Walker. "We are going into the rut and they're always a little ornery this time of year."

Ironically, Walker helped the buck minutes before the incident—he freed it from a tree near his home after it got its antlers tangled.

A neighbour ended up coming to the rescue and used their vehicle to nudge the deer, which eventually scared it off.

Walker ended up going to the urgent care centre in Parksville to get fixed up, and took the rest of the day off.

Adam Walker is pictured in urgent care after his wrestling match with the buck. (Image credit: Adam Walker)