New York Woman takes her golden retriever for a walk. Then a doe approaches them. At first it seems cute, but then: ‘I’m scared’

A New York woman and her dog, Milo, spotted a deer while on a walk. Then the encounter took an unexpected turn, as the deer refused to leave them alone.

Sam (@samcantshutup) shared the now-viral clip, which has received more than 13.6 million views. So what happened?

Why did the deer keep following them?

At first, Sam seemed amused by the up-close wildlife encounter, which she documented in her video. But as she continued walking, the deer kept appearing near her and her dog. Instead of disappearing into the woods, the animal followed them. Then the deer started chasing them.

Sam began pulling Milo along and urging him to run. The chase continued even as they made their way through a housing complex.

At one point she yelled, “Stop, he's not your baby.” Unfortunately, the deer continued the pursuit, even as Sam appeared out of breath.

@samcantshutup

This was a fucking horror movie

♬ original sound – samcantshutup

Milo didn't seem too concerned.

While Sam was clearly convinced things had gone completely off the rails, her dog seemed much less impressed.

For many viewers, that became one of the funniest parts of the video. Instead of looking terrified, Milo appeared to be enjoying the nature drama.

The comments turned into a roast of both Sam and Milo.

“Neither you [nor] Milo have any survival skills,” said one viewer.

Another viewer joked, “I will not be choosing y'all for my zombie apocalypse team.”

The reactions suggested that viewers were far more entertained by the situation than Sam was.

Can deer actually be dangerous?

While many had a good laugh, a few users took the encounter more seriously.

Wildlife encounters involving deer can escalate into aggression, especially if the animal feels threatened or a fawn is close by. Deer can kick, charge, and use their hooves or antlers to cause serious injuries.

In June 2024, a woman was walking her dog when a deer followed them. It eventually attacked. The doe knocked the 10-year-old dog onto his side. Then it stood on its hind legs and struck the dog's abdomen with its front hooves.

The dog required emergency surgery, which cost $1,300. Eventually, though, the woman received good news. Her dog was expected to make a full recovery. The woman later warned other dog owners to stay alert around deer during fawning season.

Did the creator share a follow-up video?

After the video went viral, Sam returned with a follow-up. In it, she discussed comments that told her it was “just a deer.” She explained that the animal was considerably bigger than she was, and she added that its behavior had become increasingly aggressive. 

Sam said that the deer was stomping its feet and snorting at her and Milo. She took that as a clear warning to get away. As it turns out, there may have been more to the encounter than she initially realized. She learned that the deer may have been protecting a nearby fawn, which lines up with wildlife research.

Buzz News reached out to Sam for comment via email.