Mercy

[kwood]

What's the rule on mercy kills? I'm watching a badly wounded doe from my stand and I only have a buck tag.
its rear leg is hanging by the skin just below the knee.

by the time I type this and you read it she will be gone. I feel terrible letting her walk off like that.

kwood

 

[Redskinsfan]

I have been in that position before, it was a buck and the season was over. It had its left front leg hanging by a piece of skin. I let it go. I was afraid that if I killed in mercy that the C.O. would pop out suddenly and fine me into oblivion.

 

[Willie]

I've seen a half a dozen or more healed over three legged deer in my lifetime of hunting. They got long just fine with the herd. One particular incident I recall a herd of six spooked and the three legged buck out paced several on the run..

It is up to the individual to burn a tag on a "mercy killing". I would just be sure it's really a mercy killing.. I would be more inclined to kill a gut shot deer than one who has a dangling leg..

 

[patience0830]

coyotes gotta eat too.. Don't shoot it unless you have an appropriate tag or are gonna go home and buy the tag immediately.. Technically not legal but would prolly keep you outta trouble.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

coyotes gotta eat too.. Don't shoot it unless you have an appropriate tag.

THIS right here. We are not the only predator in the woods.

 

[rgrimm01]

This is why I loathe the mag dump on a distant and/or running deer that is beyond the skill level of the shooter.

 

[djones]

I wish I would have been there with you. I have a lifetime license and can't stand hearing about wounded deer. I agree with the previous post about the deer possibly surviving. Wild animals are so much tougher than me.

 

[traderdan]

I hope that you did the right thing..

 

[mom45]

We have three gimpy deer that visit our property. The original "Gimpy" is a doe missing a front leg that has been coming here as a three-legged deer for at least 6 years. I feed her every winter. Last year she had twins again. She is very leery but her youngsters always come right up to the house to eat while she hangs back and is far more cautious. She is missing a leg right at the shoulder. When January hits and it gets really cold, I feed my herd...as I like to call them...

Last year, a second three-legged doe showed up. Missing the opposite front leg also at the shoulder. There is a young buck that is missing part of a back leg just below the hock. They all get along okay.

I don't mind eating my venison, but I do enjoy watching nature and providing them with something to eat when there is a lot of snow and it is cold. I keep water out for them too since we have no ditches or ponds. I just make sure I don't start feeding until well after hunting season is over. Lots of acorns out there this year so that will help them!

 

[kwood]

For the record, I did not shoot
she went on her way and hopefully she will turn into a similar story as the one above.
i believe she was shot by the neighboring land owner yesterday morning.
another hunter and i watched her and three others head north towards their property
not long after we hear three shots in relativity quick procession
it hard to let her go, but oh well

 

[mom45]

For the record, I did not shoot
she went on her way and hopefully she will turn into a similar story as the one above.
i believe she was shot by the neighboring land owner yesterday morning.
another hunter and i watched her and three others head north towards their property
not long after we hear three shots in relativity quick procession
it hard to let her go, but oh well

I hate seeing them injured, but they really are far more resilient than I ever knew. We have another neighbor that feeds Gimpy #1 as we call her. If he hasn't seen her for a while in the winter, he calls me to see if she's here. LOL! We keep track of her and take turns watching over and feeding the old girl.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I shot a nice 8 pt buck in gun season and when I was skinning it a razorback broad head was discovered in the shoulder area. It was healed very nicely with no visible signs until you parted the fur to see the scar.

I am sure that some bow hunter was pretty bummed that one got away

 

[mom45]

We butchered a buck out one time that had a slug in his rump...ruined most of the hind quarter as there was a trail of pus all they way through to the slug that had lodged up against his hip bone. No sign of it until we skinned him out and started cutting on the meat.

 

[Hookeye]

What is legal isn't always ethical.

 

[Bucky623]

What is legal isn't always ethical.

And vice versa, unfortunately.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

What is legal isn't always ethical.

I could not agree more. The people that use "The Law" as their source of morals are the most screwed up people I know. I guess you would be if your moral and ethical code is changed by crooks every year!

 

[Hookeye]

IMNSHO a man does what he must, and keeps quiet about it.

The old ways are counter to our new social media culture.

 

[seamonster]

that deer will probably heal up fine if the predators dont get her first.

 

[remauto1187]

That deer will probably heal up fine, it will be ok, blah blah blah...... What about the pain that it is in currently? Picture yourself walking around with a leg blown off.... are you gonna goto the damn hospital immediately or are you gonna goto mcdonalds looking for your next meal?

People need to nut the F up and grow a pair!

Law or no law, proper tag or not. I would have ended that does suffering. Call it whatever you want but no matter how you slice it, that doe was suffering and in extreme pain because some jackoff took a wild shot. Ill stand before my peers and have them judge me BEFORE I let an animal walk around severely wounded and I would consider a leg blown off a severe wound. If I get fined or lose hunting "privileges" for doing whats right then so be it.

 

[Kcustom45]

...Picture yourself walking around with a leg blown off.... are you gonna goto the damn hospital immediately or are you gonna goto mcdonalds looking for your next meal? ...

Personally I would seek medical attention, but what would really upset me is if before I got there some idiot shot me in the face to end my suffering. But that's just me I cannot speak for the deer.

With that being said I have put down several injured deer while working because I didn't want to see them continue to suffer.