Pexels/CENA French hunter got more than he bargained for when a deer quite literally ripped his face open while trying to escape.
The tables were turned when Vincent Saubion was struck in the face by the creature in a forest in Lesperon, in the south-western French region of the Landes, while out hunting.
He was left with a horrific wound across his face, before the 150kg deer successfully escaped from being hunted down by the 36-year-old and his friends.
Saubion, who is of Basque origin, told local media: ‘The deer hit me in the face as it tried to carry on.’
The hunter said he was losing a lot of blood from the injury, but despite the huge wound gaping down his face, Saubion bizarrely wanted to continue hunting with his pals.
The 36-year-old said of his gruesome injury:
It felt like I was drunk, but it actually took half my face off.
A fellow hunter told Saubion that he should stop the hunt, before calling over a firefighter who was part of the group to give him some much needed first aid.
However, the group quickly realised the severity of Saubion’s injury and so, in the end, a helicopter had to fly to the forested region to airlift him to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.
According to reports, Saubion was given about 50 stitches to his face at the Pellegrin Hospital in Bordeaux.
CENHe said:
I am grateful because there was more fear than actual harm. I haven’t broken anything and I feel as good as I can be.
While many people would be put off hunting for life as a result of the brutal injury, which took place in January but has only just been made public, Saubion has vowed to continue hunting.
He said:
I am still crazy about hunting. I am very involved in the community, and have nothing but respect for the game and the owners who let us hunt on their grounds.
Reports on the incident are unclear as to whether the deer involved in the incident had been shot or not.
France is a well known destination for hunters, who come to the country to hunt roe deer, red deer, chamois and wild boar.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.