Who is to say if it will go on living or not? Sure, an animal will not live if it has been disemboweled, spine shot, ect., but it would only take one more night, two at the most, before a pack of coyotes, wolfs, bear, ect., gets to it and takes it out of the status of the living. Animals are alot tougher than anyone could ever imagine, and face adversity every day. Letting the animal alone and letting nature take its course, is the only way to handle this situation.

Answer me this, how long has the Kansas deer season(rifle) been over?? If it is more than a few days or a week, there is a possibility that the animal will make it, even though it may be a slim one. I am by far no self-proclaimed expert, but I have spent many hours in the timber each year, and have seen several animals that have had a lower section of a leg missing, severe chunks of flesh gone from a hip, ect., and have seen them year to year. They may get around slowly, but they can still get around when it counts. I know you were probably being sarcastic about running the animal down, but, we both know that one would have the fight of its life on its hands when trying to tangle with a wounded animal. They have 4 things in life to do that are passed down in their genes, eat, sleep, make little babies, and to survive, that is it, and they do it better than most other game species. I understand that you are troubled on what to do, but it is my opinion that leaving things left alone is the only way to go. It is the natural thing to do, even though a unnatural act such as a car impact, poor shot by a hunter, ect., caused the situation in the first place.


......We are all, at best, part time hunters, they are always full time survivors.....

You could always throw a cardeer lasso around it's neck and perhaps its magical powers would heal the ailing buck and restore it to never before known strength and vigor. <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

This is all too weird. I've been away the past ten days enjoying time off with the family and getting a few days to hunt.

I seen this thread and find that I just lived out a similar scenario on the afternoon of the 28th. I had only one archery tag left before &quot;tagging out&quot; on state property and was waiting on an adult doe.

6-8&quot; of snow on the ground and I had hunted the 26th, so I checked along the river for fresh tracks. I found fresh tracks, blood and along the tracks was a semi-circle drag mark. Every 50-75 yards, a spot where the deer had laid down. No one on the north side of the river following the trail. I was the only hunter on the south side of the river in the area. When I got close to it, she stands up and begins walking right between two of my stand locations. Her left leg dangling half way down the shank.

Anyway, after 1.5 miles and over two hours later I got close enough to put a crossbow bolt through her chest. She had been shot during the past 24-48 hours with an arrow as evident by the three bladed enterance and exit wounds and the same pattern through the shank bone. I had again &quot;tagged-out&quot;, but this time it didn't end the way I had hoped. But from the moment I saw her, I knew something had to be done. Not for the harvest, but for the deer itself.

I know all too well about the coyote population in that area, witnessed a large male take down a yearling when another larger male came in to finish the job. This 2.5 year old doe would have been even easier prey.

Was it ethical, legal, humane or moral? Yesbut that's my opinion.

I know what I would do in your situation.





Shoot often - Hunt always

DForce my hat is off to you, you finished some slobs job and put the doe out of its misery. Oh and I bet she will make some good eating to boot.

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

This is a situation that most hunters will find themselves in at some point in thier lives. If you are having problems making a decision then you are best to follow the law on this one because it is the only way you can insure that you don't get into trouble. Around here you never know when a game warden is around or someone is watching through bi-nocs somewhere to turn you in.

That being said I have made this decision in the past and would again in a heart beat. Somethings are above the scope of the law and are not intended to be looked at in such a literal term.

I got to follow Davidmil on this one

Quote &quot;The difference between you and me.... I would have already done what I was going to do and I never would have told you.... or anyone probably for that matter. Maybe Len or someone I hunt with.... but the rest of the world doesn't need to know one way or the other.&quot;



&quot; Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad&quot;

A couple of years ago, I used one of my doe tags to harvest a crippled doe with only one working back leg. I was pleased about that and wanted to use my other tag on another crippled doe in a different area that was even in worse shape. I got very close to this targeted deer on numerous occasions, but never got her--passed up plenty of others in the attempt.

IN THIS CASE---if I were given a high percentage opportunity on <u>my own property</u>, I would feel obligated to put the deer down if I was sure it was going to die or suffer terribly for the rest of it's life. As for the meat and rack--why should it be left to rot even though the circumstances surrounding the harvest are different. Illegal? --probably. Ethical? --DEFINITELY.

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

i remember when i was a kid we were at a state park camping in indiana and we went for a bike ride....we happened upon a small 6 pt buck that could barely walk gimping around next to the road...definately needed put out of its misery. me and my dad went to the rangers station and told them about it. the rangers responds was just let him be. had we done the ethical but illigal thing we'd had to hitch hick back to ohio for lack of funds...LOL

Only God should play God!!!

Ha! Who is Titliest? New I see. Excited to hear further posts, I am.

I would have zero problem putting a deer down in or out of season if I thought it was hovering at deaths door, I'd do it in a heartbeat. However, the deer would have to be not able to get up, or be obviously disemboweled or something.

In your case, I would not finish it off. The leg wound, mangled or not is not necessarily life threatening (you saw it, I didn't - you may decide different). Deer are amazing survivalists, and my money would be on the deer, if it can avoid infection. Once I harvested a buck with a broadhead completley through one side of the pelvis, from the year before. This year, a messed up rack buck was taken on the property that had a broadhead embedded in and through the shoulder blade from the year before. In both cases, I'm sure a couple weeks after their injury - they would have seemed on deaths door - but they both made it.

While video-taping deer coming into the corn last week (season is over - 3 weeks here) I video taped a deer come in on three legs, the hind leg on its right side was swollen the size of a melon at the knee joint. I did not have a gun with me, but considered that if I had, would I have shot it, the answer would have been no.

Life can be cruel for animals. It is difficult NOT to inject human thoughts of suffering, or pain to the deer we wholeheartedly enjoy, but we must not. Life should go on for your deer - even if its only until coyotes pull it down. If you come upon the deer at a later date, and its alive, but cannot get up, then in my opinion you have the right, maybe you are even obliged to end its life. However, as long as it can get around, I feel it would be wrong for you to illegally take the animal's life. Now if you had a tag, the decision would be a whole lot easier - wouldn't it.