RE: What to do?
Unless its obviously close to expiring I would shoot it. I was too cheap to waste a bullet one time during shotgun season on basket buck that was near death. I went up to slit the throat and he didnt want any part of that. The buckwhich was shot in the spine got up on his front legs and tried defending itself pretty much. I dropped my knife, and grabbed the anltlers and held on for dear life while pushing back into him. After about a 2 or 3 minute battle I was close enough to willow about the size of my arm around and I pushed the buck one way and went behind the willow. Then I ran and got my gun that was about 30 yds away at this point and finished him off. I will never attempt to slit the throat again, I also feel now that it is a bit of a harsh way to die. Id take a bullet over drowning in my own blood any day. Just my .02