RDR1

Okay. So I'm playing rdr1 undead for the first time and It's dark out so I wanted to check of these goats were undead (I usually kill them to put them out of their misery.. I have to much empathy) and I went to go skin it because that's the only way I know how to check- THEN I GET SPAWNED LIKE 50 FT IN THE AIR AND DIE?!