Albion, Ind. - State police said Paul J. Smith of Fort Wayne, Ind., died after his liver was lacerated during a scufffle with a deer he shot in an Indiana state park.Smith, 62, died Monday while taking part in the deer reducing hunt at Chain OLakes State Park in Albion, Ind., a statement from the Indiana State Dept. of Natural Resources declared.
An autopsy by the Noble County Coroners office ruled the death was due to a lacerated liver, possibly from an encounter the hunter had with a deer he shot.
Smith telephoned his young son right after 9 a.m. on Monday and left a voice mail that he'd shot a buck. But when Smith's son called back about 10:30 a.m., Smith said that after descending from his treestand to field dress and tag the deer, he found the deer was still alert, the release said.
Smith explained to his son he 'tussled' with the deer prior to killing it via a knife.
Park officials were called up by Smith to help claim the deer to the check-in post.
A park staff member of the park officals, who went to get the deer, discovered Smith unconscious against a tree.
Chain OLakes property director Sam Boggs and Officer Darren Reed tried to resuscitate Smith with a portable defibrillator but got no reaction. He started CPR right until EMS first responders made it but he was pronounced dead at the sceen, the release said.
The medical examiners autopsy found grazes on Smiths liver that were in line with internal contusing, the release stated. Conservation police officers shut the investigation after obtaining the autopsy results.
Albion is about 300 miles east of Chicago.
