A C172 IS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED DURING A NIGHT OP AFTER RUNNING OFF THE RWY IN THE PLT'S ATTEMPT TO AVOID SEVERAL DEER THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD CHASED AWAY ON 2 PREVIOUS LOW PASSES TO RWY 2 AT 5G8; PA.

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