Deer Breaks Into Store, Visits Bathroom
GLOSTER, Miss. - When Mississippi Soap Co. owner Greg Touchstone got a call at home about a break-in at his store, it sounded sinister: broken glass and a trail of blood. But police followed the blood to the bathroom where they found a buck deer, very much alive.
"It was shocking," said policeman Tyrone Green. "I think the deer was scared, and I was scared, too."
Touchstone got a call at 7:30 p.m. Sunday that his business had been vandalized and the front plate glass window was broken. His father-in-law, Robert Bateman, arrived at the store before Touchstone and, along with Green, found a trail of blood leading from the front of the store to the bathroom in the back.
They figured the burglar was still in the bathroom, Touchstone said. Green drew his gun.
When he opened the door, the deer appeared, Touchstone said.
"I think it scared both of them half to death," he said. "That thing somehow got himself in the bathroom and shut the door behind him. You wouldn't believe the blood... That thing was trying to climb the walls to get out of there."
Green shut the door and another Gloster policeman, George Sanders, arrived to kill the spike buck.
"It was badly cut. It wasn't going to make it," Green said.
Touchstone figured the deer wandered into town and either attacked its reflection in the glass or got spooked by fireworks.
Or, Touchstone joked, "We make that all-natural buck soap and we figured he was trying to get in there and get it."
The buck soap is a scentless cover-up for hunters.
Touchstone said replacing the window will cost about $400, and the bathroom will have to be repainted.
GLOSTER, Miss. - When Mississippi Soap Co. owner Greg Touchstone got a call at home about a break-in at his store, it sounded sinister: broken glass and a trail of blood. But police followed the blood to the bathroom where they found a buck deer, very much alive.
"It was shocking," said policeman Tyrone Green. "I think the deer was scared, and I was scared, too."
Touchstone got a call at 7:30 p.m. Sunday that his business had been vandalized and the front plate glass window was broken. His father-in-law, Robert Bateman, arrived at the store before Touchstone and, along with Green, found a trail of blood leading from the front of the store to the bathroom in the back.
They figured the burglar was still in the bathroom, Touchstone said. Green drew his gun.
When he opened the door, the deer appeared, Touchstone said.
"I think it scared both of them half to death," he said. "That thing somehow got himself in the bathroom and shut the door behind him. You wouldn't believe the blood... That thing was trying to climb the walls to get out of there."
Green shut the door and another Gloster policeman, George Sanders, arrived to kill the spike buck.
"It was badly cut. It wasn't going to make it," Green said.
Touchstone figured the deer wandered into town and either attacked its reflection in the glass or got spooked by fireworks.
Or, Touchstone joked, "We make that all-natural buck soap and we figured he was trying to get in there and get it."
The buck soap is a scentless cover-up for hunters.
Touchstone said replacing the window will cost about $400, and the bathroom will have to be repainted.
