RE: Best way to finish off a deer w/knife??
I can tell you this much... 2 years ago I shot a small 4 point buck. (3 on one side and a twisted mess spike on the other) The kind of buck you want removed from the herd. Anyway, After the shot he dropped in his tracks but wasn't dead. I walked up to him and he was gargling pretty bad on his blood but still alive. I took off my jacket, layed down my gun and got ready to gut the deer hoping he would die in the mean time. He didn't. No moving just breathing and choking on his blood so I decided to slit his throat. I have done this before on doe but never on a buck. They usually bleed out in a matter of seconds. Looking to end this with as little suffering as possible I stood over the buck and Stuck the knife into his neck. With the blade facing out I like to stick it in about 1/3 of the way across the neck and press the blade in then down to make sure I hit the vitals.... When I stuck the knife in his neckthe buck woke up and stood straight up which almost made me stab myself with the knife. The buck rammed me in the stomach but I got my hand on his one good antler and stopped it from piercing my stomach! It did cut the palm of my hand though. The buck then did a bunny hop to the side then again the other way then stopped about 4 feet from me staring at me snorting and stomping it's one foot to the ground. Here I am standing 5 feet from my gun, holding my knife by the blade with the wind knocked out of meface to face with a pissed off buck!!! Lucky for me he decided to make a run for it and I was able to gather my thoughts long enough to get to my gun and drop him crossing the field!!! I stood there in shock of what had just happened for about 20 minutes....
If I were you I would buy a nice sharp long handled hatchet and give the neck a chop from a safer distance or take a chance and shoot it again!Never again will I stick a deer with a knife before it is dead!! If that had been an older buck with more body and antler size I might have been in real trouble! Respect that animals power until it is dead or you might end up one very sorry hunter!!!! Good luck!!