I’m a little embarrassed to admit I believed only quasi-carnivore type animals could get rabies. I just never thought about grazing critters contracting the disease. Interesting.
“Bambi Bites Back”?
I believe all mammals can contract rabies. Though deer are considered herbivores, they eat meat on occasion. Birds, insects, occasional carrion.
Cattle have been know for years to contract rabies. An afflicted skunk, racoon, or other would bite the bovine and...there you go. It used to be a much bigger problem than it is today.
You have the right idea but any mammal that is acting strange is suspect.
A deer is big enough to get bitten by a carnivor and get away after being exposed to the virus.
Personally I wouldn’t touch a deer without some sort of protection, they are vermin, rats with good PR. I can think of a half dozen potential diseases they carry and could transmit through broken skin.