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Farmer won't be charged for shooting rogue deer

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Aug 30, 2012 at 7:04 am

FERTILE, MN (AP) - A northwestern Minnesota farmer who made news when he got pummeled by a deer won't be charged with shooting the buck out of season.

A conservation officer who investigated the incident sent a report to the county attorney for review, per standard procedure.

Norman County Attorney James Brue told the Grand Forks Herald (http://bit.ly/OsaNwx) with a chuckle that it was a justifiable shooting, so Mark Christianson won't be charged.

The 66-year-old says he was heading out to spray soybeans on his farm near Fertile when the buck attacked Aug. 2. His wife says the black and blue marks are gone, but he's still sore.

It's not clear why the deer attacked. It wasn't mating season, and lab tests found no signs of any diseases that might have explained its erratic behavior.