A Clinton County couple were both critically injured when a six-point white-tail buck repeatedly gored first the man, then the woman when she attempted to help him.

Cpl. Todd A. Brian and Tpr. Stephen E. Wilcox arrived after a 911 call at 7:40 a.m. from a woman who said a buck had first blocked her door so that she could not leave the house, then attacked her housemate who went to shoo the deer away.

When the troopers arrived they heard the woman screaming, but couldn't find her immediately so split up.

Cpl. Brian found the buck straddling the woman in the back yard, goring her in the face, neck and chest, Cpl. Brian said. The man, who had been repeatedly gored, was in and out of consciousness.

"I find her pinned to ground -- a large buck standing over her, one of his front feet on each side of her torso," said Cpl. Brian. "Obviously I had to do something to stop it. But even from 8 or 10 feet I didn't want to shoot the deer -- his upper body was right down by her chest. So I picked up the left horn, I pulled towards me on left side and that got it up high enough off her that I could get a shot. I immediately started shooting it in the chest. It took off and ran almost directly into Tpr. Wilcox. He shot it several more times and put it down."

The victims, Linda Yost and Frank Rishel, have lived together on the rural property for many years, Cpl. Brian said. Clinton County is in north central Pennsylvania, just north of Centre County.

Both victims were badly injured, with severe facial injuries. The troopers wanted to transport them by medical helicopter but the foggy conditions made that impossible.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are investigating the apparently unprovoked attack.

A commission worker took the carcass away. Although the buck appeared healthy, if will be checked for rabies and other diseases.

Commission employee Kenneth Packard noted that deer are in the midst of the rut, which is the fall mating season, and for whatever reason, the buck chose to spar with these people.

"That is not behavior normally associated with wild deer, as they almost invariably keep their distance from people," the news release said.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the immediate response and action of Cpl. Brian and Tpr. Wilcox saved the lives of the two victims," said Game Commission Northcentral Region Law Enforcement Supervisor Warren "Quig" Stump.

The condition of the victims was unavailable.