Budbowhunter

Man you guys come up with some dooseys! I'm a big stickler for keeping it legal. But I don't know that I could of let that animal walk, or gimp away knowing that he's only going to fall prey to some coyotes in a couple of days. Like was said above, it's like seeing a deer hit by a car and dying. What do you do? This truely is a gray area. I think if you did put him down and got caught, you might be able to successfully argue your case in court depending on the judge. I would definately try to document the case with some pics first if I did get caught. Just my opinion. I by no means want to influence any one to break the law though. I think I would try the game warden way first. And if that didn't work then take the matter into my own hands.

KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.

Bullkllr

There is room sometimes for your own "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy.

Some of the other arguements are compelling:

In my state the Dept. of Wildlife agents would say there was nothing they could do.

Walking away was an option, but if it wasn't eatin' at you, you wouldn't have posted.

Legally, you have a much more viable and obvious infraction only if you take some part of that deer home. That's up to you. Maybe wait a while to salvage the headgear.

Merit

I'd call the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and talk with them if you're nervous. Ethics tells us one thing, the law another.

Best of luck.

VAhuntr

I know in my area the game wardens are spread too thin to come out and put a wounded animal down during deer season. You might get one to come to the scene of a traffic accident and put one down but most likely this would be done by the officer working the scene.

Who

If I could run out and almost catch him (Not that I would recomend trying) but knew that I could. I would consider that Mother Nature has ask me to do her and him a favor. No it and walk away. Its the walking away that would kill me. Such a wast.

Over 15 years ago I was in Col. hunting elk. I had split off from the others to go to a water hole not too far from camp. I was coming around a little hill that had a sheep fence along its lower edge. As I got closer to the water hole I heard noise and as I eased up I found a spike Mule deer buck that had hung its back legs in the fence. It back legs were broke and it had been trying to get loose for several hrs from the looks of things.
I thought about letting mother nature take care of it, but decided that I had been placed there to do it. I did not shoot it but droped my coat over its head and then cut its throat.
The hard thing again was to walk away. Young buck and we had been eating c rations for a week. Man! Fresh meat on the old camp fire. Not in season, only 1/4 mile from camp, NO, No, No! I couldent do it. Cussed myself and walked on to the water hole.
Just as I got to where I wanted to set and watch the water hole I hear noise coming down the trail from the other direction. You got it! Not one but two game wardens on horse back. They checked my license and I decided to tell them about the deer. They ask me to show them where so I did. We talked about it after they looked the deer over but that was all. Last I saw of them or that buck was them going over the hill. I sure was glad I did not cut a few steaks off him.
Rick

Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.

davidmil

Well, Cardeer and I know what we'd do.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> And we haven't even sat down to figure out what is ethical or the law or anything... but we know what we're doing.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

huntmup

GOD, Country, Corps, Family, Self.

What is good for the lowest common denominator is good for the greater. I'd echo the writing of Who & say that I was put here to put him down.

In my woods I shoot(and maybe drag), don't tell, and don't cut.



Aim small miss small

Bionicrooster

In my neck of the woods we didn't used to have yotes when I was younger so I would have killed him as it would have been a long death without a decent predator around. I would have dropped him and you guys would have never heard about it as that is a personal decision you (or I) would have to live with. Now that we have coyotes around, I doubt he would suffer for long, so the decision might be different.

&quot;We do not inherit our wildlife from our fathers, we only borrow it from our children.&quot;

nodose

budbowhunter....i disagree. i don't think that he would be able to make an arguement that would satisfy or justify putting the animal down. one way to say for sure is for kshunter to call the DNR and inform them of the senerio and ask for permission to take the animal. their first question is going to be &quot;do you have a valid buck tag?&quot; and its MHO that you couldn't collect enough evidence via pics, notes....etc..etc..etc, to prove that the deer is going to expire. the only evidence that the court would be interested in is a dead deer that died as a result of an injury, which would be impossible to get if kshunter put the deer down. game hunting seasons regulated by the state and requiring a lisence are property of the state, and officers (wardens) etc, get paid to oversee and facilitate the game herds and or flocks. we all feel bad when we see an animal suffering but in a case like this, better walk away or be prepared to pay a hefty fine or worse. the law's a funny beast and isn't set up to let human emotion intercede.



Edited by - nodose on 12/31/2002 00:30:51

Tazman

As cardeer and a few others have said there is legal and ethical and there is illegal but ethical. To me it is an easy one, if the deer is in a real bad way and will not recover, but is suffering, ask the man above what to do, I can tell you what he will tell you, put him down! I will not let an animal suffer! Period!

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club