somethings bothern me

[corey012778]

I was out hunting this morning. A deer came into view. It looked like it was favoring its left leg. I was going to shot it but could not get it clean shot. I was just wondering what could have happen to it to make it lemp like it was. I felt real bad for it.

sorry it has been bothern me all day. I am heading out to hunt again.

[cayugad]

Deer injure themselves all the time... car accidents, simple every day injuries like anyone or thing else might suffer, sprains, animal attack, hunting encounters.. there are countless ways they can injure themselves. Around where I live if we spot them we take them as a tag. Otherwise their chance of living through a ruff winter (like we are having this year) is little to none...

Good for you wanting to take an animal like that. I commend your intent. Many years ago I shot a lame deer with bow, even though there was a much bigger one next to it. And sixyears ago,I shot one with a muzzleloader that turned out to have a puss shoulder from an arrow. I ended up throwing that one away. But at least I stopped the suffering of it. While we hunt for meat many times, never forget we are the keepers of the game. It is our obligation to care for all the animals out there not just kill them for sport. Also if the animal is not too bad lame, it will probably be fine. You might find a puss hoof or a break in the lower leg.

[sabotloader]

corey012778

Good thinking... and as Dave says, they can get injuries very easy and when they do often times they become that much more suseptible any number of calamities...

I also know what you feel like when you said you felt real bad... been there done that one... in fact in my mind I have to be real careful not to look at an animal in the face - if I plan on harvesting it... it becomes really tough for me.. I know it is stupid but still...

[Phathead]

sabotloader, nothing stupid about having respect for life. I meat hunt but would be tickeled to death if a 120+ class buck stepped out. I let the little the ones walk just so maybe I can get it next year. Some say what is the difference killing it this year or next either way its dead. I say that everyone has their own take on hunting, sport, challenge, ethics, etc. as long as you are comfortable then the heck with everyone else.

[rockyshamrock]

the first weekend of the Iowa shotgun season we had freezing rain and sleet over most of the state. since then i have seen a lot of deer with limps. i bet they slipped and feel like the first season shot gun hunters did. well the ice now has snow on it so its not as bad but it is still very slick out there hunting late ml season.

[corey012778]

we had an ice storm a couple weeks ago. this was the first morning in a while I have hunted too. We had rain last night, it may have slipped in some mud too. got a good bit of clay in the area.

[Semisane]

Back on Dec 1st, one of the guys in our club shot at an 8-pt. buck just before darkthat he "knew he hit", but couldn't find. He found a little blood and meat at the point of the shot, and brought back to camp a one-inch sectionof bone that sure looked like leg bone. Well, six of us went out in the dark with good lights and combed the brush and briers for the better part of two hours. We made circles every ten yards out to about 100 yards. No blood anywhere exceptat the sight of the shot, and no sign of the deer.

Then, on Dec 14, this picture shows up on my game camera on a food plot about 3/4 of a mile from the sight of the shot. The shooter confirmed that this was the deer he shot at (with a scoped .308 from a steady rest, no less). No one has seen him again, but it looks like he may make it if he doesn't get infected.

[frontier gander]

ouch.

[corey012778]

ouch that is making my knee hurt.