Put down a Wounded Deer

[Penny_Plinker]

This a.m. i was checking some traps at the creek and a smallish antlered deer got up from 20 feet away and attempted to climb the steep bank. Could tell it was wounded as there was a brownish dark hole in its rear ham and it was sort of floundering and throwing its head back as it tried to climb the bank. I scrambled back up the way i came, went to the 4 wheeler to get my 22 thinking to hit it in the head and put it out of its misery.

When i got back, it wasn't to be seen and i looked some and then went back to the house to get my husband and some bigger guns. We fanned out and searched out through the briars and head high weeds in the immediate area but didn't jump him up.

Then started walking up the creek where the brush is even thicker thinking that'd be where it'd head. We started seeing a lot of beaver sign and got distracted by that and i didn't really expect to find the deer. We had went a good 600 yards and rounded a bend and something was in the water's edge. My husband said there's the deer. Its gait was terrible and appeared in pain, but it made it across the creek. I shot at it but the shot hit low because the animal was moving and then my husband shot it and put it down.

We couldn't get across the creek to retrieve the deer but we didn't want it anyway. The hindquarter is the biggest portion of a deer and who'd want to eat something with a festering wound? We just wanted to put it out of its misery.

And then we called and left a message for the game warden because there is Sunday hunting laws here.

In a way i feel bad because it appears it was trying to heal itself by going to the creek to soak its wound. Maybe it would have lived. But my husband said where the wound was, there is a bone socket there so it wasn't just a muscle wound and it would have probably died a long miserable death.

Penny

[DM]

It's good that you found him, but i bet you there was quite a bit of good meat in that deer...

Also, around here if you shoot a deer, wounded or not, and don't tag it, i think you will get written up!

Every year i find a deer or two that runs onto my place and dies... Last spring i found a big gobbler that flew onto my place and died...

It's pretty sad that "that" happens!

DM

[Penny_Plinker]

Since it didn't appear to be a fresh wound we were thinking it leg would be inflamed and infected. I'm sorry it might have been a waste of good meat but i'm squeamish when it comes to food.

A fairly common thing then.

Penny

[DM]

Too damn common!

I have a doe comeing by my stand with a buggered front leg, i'm going to harvest her next chance i get... I believe she was wounded by a bow hunter...

My nephue harvested a buck a few days ago that had a broadhead stuck in the front leg, and it was limping pretty good...

There's no shortage of deer around here, but i just hate to see a deer wounded in any way!

DM

[jim]

I too hate to see that, and pass up all but certian shots. If people would just learn to wait 15 mins after the shot before beginning the search, then far fewer deer would be lost. Taking a shot with plenty of daylight left for the search would also help. That new blood light that illuminates blood is a good thing, and should be required equipment. None of this will solve the problem of lazy hunters that are too sorry to make sure they finished the job.

jim

[LeatherneckPA]

I too hate to see that, and pass up all but certian shots. -jim
jim that's the ONLY lesson I ever learned from my father about hunting. It's probably the only reason I haven't been able to harvest a deer so far. But there's always late muzzle season here.

[Ironclad]

Ms Penny,
God Bless You for your mercy.
Try to ignore those who chastice you for "the laws and the wasted meat".

Too many hunters are bad shots. Too many hunters have no spirit. Hardly any of them actually say that short breath of a prayer before they pull the trigger...thanking God for the bounty he is about to bestow upon their table. Good for you and your man, that you got to end that suffering.

[land steward]

I agree I wish more hunters would get off better shots and atleast learn to follow up after shooting. It does happen no matter how careful you are. I am sure the native indians here had lots of wounded animals as well. No doubt they lost way more shooting sharp sticks at them.

[Poonie]

I for one do not agree that you did the right thing....Was that deer suffering, maybe.....Would it only die a horrible death had you not "put it out of its misery?".....No way to tell, and really not your call.....Deer are resilient animals and there was probably a better than average chance it would have survived, but you played God and made a decision......

"Could tell it was wounded as there was a brownish dark hole in its rear ham".......Ok, it was wounded.....How could you tell it was a bullet wound, and not some other wound such as from an absess, or maybe it broke its leg trying to get away from a wild dog, or punctured its leg on a barbed wire fence, etc?..... Right away a hunter is blamed, why? Not all hunters are bad shots, and more than you would think are ethical and would track an animal they shot and finish it off. Lets not place blame on a group for something unknown at this point. I think you just let your emotions make a choice, one that sooothed your conscience because to you it felt good to "end that animal's suffering". I think you were wrong......

[grumble]

"I for one do not agree that you did the right thing..."

You're certainly welcome to your opinion, but I suspect you are in the minority. I always put down wounded and sick wild animals. Nature is a harsh mistress, and while I don't mind killing things, I really hate to see things suffer. Animals live right on the edge usually, and a couple days of reduced food can weaken them to the point they can't recover. It just takes more time for inevitable to happen. Real life in the wild ain't like a Walt Disney movie.

[backlash]

I think they did the right thing.
It may have survived but it may have suffered a long painful death.
I was not there so it's only speculation on my part but if it was wounded in the hind quarters it was in bad shape.
If he was having problems moving the coyotes or other predators would have got him and that would not have been a fast death.
My neighbor let one lay in his back yard overnight because he said he thought it was getting better.
It had a broken pelvis.
After it suffered all night he called the sheriff and one came out and shot the deer.

[Teg]

I for one do not agree that you did the right thing....Was that deer suffering, maybe.....Would it only die a horrible death had you not "put it out of its misery?".....No way to tell, and really not your call.....Deer are resilient animals and there was probably a better than average chance it would have survived, but you played God and made a decision......

"Could tell it was wounded as there was a brownish dark hole in its rear ham".......Ok, it was wounded.....How could you tell it was a bullet wound, and not some other wound such as from an absess, or maybe it broke its leg trying to get away from a wild dog, or punctured its leg on a barbed wire fence, etc?..... Right away a hunter is blamed, why? Not all hunters are bad shots, and more than you would think are ethical and would track an animal they shot and finish it off. Lets not place blame on a group for something unknown at this point. I think you just let your emotions make a choice, one that sooothed your conscience because to you it felt good to "end that animal's suffering". I think you were wrong......


I don't think her intent was to bad-mouth hunters, but regardless of where the wound came from, to let an animal suffer needlessly is not the way to go. Folks should recognize that a sometimes difficult part of conservation and animal management is the culling of injured or undesirable critters.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Poonie]

I don't think her intent was to bad-mouth hunters, but regardless of where the wound came from, to let an animal suffer needlessly is not the way to go. Folks should recognize that a sometimes difficult part of conservation and animal management is the culling of injured or undesirable critters.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Again, I don't agree. First of all, did this person consider the legality of culling this animal? In most states you can't just go shooting an animal because you think its suffering. I know here in Pa, if you shot a wounded deer and you didn't contact the conservation officers ahead of time, you stand the chance of being fined. You could be considered a poacher for taking game out of season.

About the only time I can see putting an animal down is in a case of where you either witness, or are the person hitting the deer with a vehicle and the animal is in such a state that there is no way it will survive, such as its lying by the side of the road with its entrails spread all over the street. In that case Ok, but to simply see an animal limping along or falling down from a wound of unknown origin, no, I don't agree with taking the law into your own hands in the latter case.

Surely nature is a cruel mistress, but who are we to step in? Why is it less cruel to end that deer's so called suffering than to allow a coyote, or wolf , or fox to have a meal? You cull the deer, its suffeirng ends, you feel good about it. You then remove, or have the deer removed and disposed of in the landfill. Well IMO, you 've just killed many more animals than just that deer. The wolf, coyote, fox, raccoon, and what have you, that all could have benefited from that carcass, now die from starvation. Yes nature can be cruel to one animal, but in doing so she cares for many, many others.

Its not just our emotions we should be considering here folks. Lets face it, the only reason you're cullling that animal is to free yourself from some emotional baggage of seeing that poor suffering deer. It really has nothing to do at all with the deer.

[offgridbob]

Penny p. there are times that you go and do what you feel is right and it may not be legal but not everything legal is right. But then you will have those that think evry rule has to be kept because it's the law. Most of them can't think for themselves or have they had an original thought of their own. Don't listen to them, follow what you know is right and keep quiet about it. We have enough lemmings in this country as it is.

[backlash]

What offgridbob said.
You did what you thought was right and humane.
You were there we weren't.
Some people disagree just because it's their nature. Ignore them and do what you feel is right.
She also stated they could not get to the deer so the other animals were not deprived of a meal.
It was in fact easier for them and the deer.

[Poonie]

Penny p. there are times that you go and do what you feel is right and it may not be legal but not everything legal is right. But then you will have those that think evry rule has to be kept because it's the law. Most of them can't think for themselves or have they had an original thought of their own. Don't listen to them, follow what you know is right and keep quiet about it. We have enough lemmings in this country as it is.

Surely, don't listen to me, listen to someone who advocates breaking the law! Yes, alot of lemmings are in in jail too! Hey do what you want. I was just trying to show an opposing viewpoint.

[grumble]

Poonie, as I said before, you're welcome to your own opinion, and should feel free to express it. It's just that most of us don't agree with you. We'll think and do what we think we should, and you can do the same; until either of us tries to FORCE an opinion on the others, we don't interfere with one another.

[Teg]

Poonie, as I said before, you're welcome to your own opinion, and should feel free to express it. It's just that most of us don't agree with you. We'll think and do what we think we should, and you can do the same; until either of us tries to FORCE an opinion on the others, we don't interfere with one another.

Well said. :)

[TillamookSlim]

jim that's the ONLY lesson I ever learned from my father about hunting. It's probably the only reason I haven't been able to harvest a deer so far. But there's always late muzzle season here.

I learned that lesson as well and I have also yet to get a deer in three years of hunting, but for me its better to hunt fail, then know I wounded a deer, wasted the meat and if its a bad shot caused you knows how much unneeded suffering.