I can understand how you feel. This goes back to the big gray area surrounding the subject of being ethical or law abiding, as with the other post about a wounded deer. It's a tough call. 30 some years ago, the nieghborhood dog that all of us as kids played with when we were little, was run over by some teenagers in the middle of the street. The dog was disemboweled from the impact, but, still alive. My father, with quick thinking, took it upon himself to put the dog down. This happened in the early evening of the summer, when there were many kids and adults outside to witness this. Thus to say after a few harsh words and kids crying, my father felt that he might have been in the wrong at the time. Did he do the right thing by ending an animals suffering? I think so. Is what he did legal? No, not in the city limits. He did end up talking to the police about this, and the police agreed the same--ethical yes, legal no, and was given a warning and told to be more careful about this in the future. Remember, this was better than 30 years ago. In todays world, sad as it may seem, I think you did the right thing by contacting the authorities in stead of taking care of it yourself. You never know who is watching. It was not your fault that the authorities (game commision)took too long to act. I would like to know if your friend the deputy would have done the job quicker or at all. This way I might have a better idea on who to call if this situation arises in the future.