A hunter in Michigan has wrestled a deer for 45 minutes after it charged him.

David Gutowski eventually strangled the animal with his belt, before clubbing it to death with a lump of wood.

He is now angry that wildlife officials won't let him eat his trophy. They want to analyse the animal to see what caused the attack in Manistee.

"I fought for my life with that deer and I think it should be mine," said the 41-year-old.

Mr Gutowski engaged in hand-to-hoof combat after the 200-pound deer ran at him and tried to spike him with its horns.

The buck went for him while he was fishing on a riverbank. Alone and not knowing what to do, Gutowski said he grabbed the deer by its antlers and hung on.

"He was going to spear me in the guts if I didn't," Mr Gutowski told Michigan Live.com.

"It was grunting and going crazy. I had my legs wrapped around its rib cage and I was squeezing for all I was worth. I was afraid to let go, for fear that it would kill me."

He managed to undo his belt and wrap it around the animal's neck. He choked the animal until it was too weak to move, then used a piece of railroad sleeper he found nearby to club it to death.

"I didn't kill him on purpose; I was scared for my life," he said. "I promise I will never get into a fight with a deer again."