Oregon hunter killed by elk he shot with an arrow the night before

Elk killed after goring hunter with its antlers

A bow hunter in Oregon was killed on Sunday by an elk he was tracking.

Mark David, 66, wounded a 5x5 bull elk while hunting on private property near Tillamook on Saturday.

Mr David set off to find the elk before nightfall, but were unable to track it, according to Oregon State Police.

The next day, the hunter and the owner of the land continued the search for the elk. They found the wounded animal around 9:15am, and Mr David attempted to kill it with his bow.

The elk charged the hunter and managed to gore him in the neck.

"The landowner attempted to help David but he sustained fatal injuries and died," Oregon State Police said in a statement.

After the attack, the elk was killed and its meat was donated to the Tillamook County Jail once police finished their investigation of the incident.

Though rare, elks do occasionally cause injury to humans.

Last year, two people were hurt after an elk charged at a woman in Estes Park, Colorado.

A bull elk attacked a woman, knocking her to the ground and poking her with its antlers near the town's visitor centre.

Luckily, her injuries were minor and she did not require medical attention.

Elk mating season - called an elk rut - generally happens between early September and mid-October. Male elks are especially aggressive during this season, as they are competing for mates. This often includes getting into fights with other male elks.