I wrestled with this for just a little while but decided I'd take the shot for two reasons.

1 the deer were very likely doomed to a slow cruel death and the opportunity to prevent that and maybe save one should be taken

2 The fair chase issue is a bit cloudy here so I thought a while and found a perspective that makes me comfortable with the shot. No human intervention caused these deer to become vulnerable,no fence keeping them in,No vehicles, lights, electronics etc etc were used. The hunter took advantage of something that we all know occurs in nature (even if infrequently). If it's OK to take advantage of a mature buck letting down his guard in the rut (a more frequent but no less deadly situation for the buck), why not take advantage of this situation?

TW .. I don't know anything for fact. In the actual situation everything may be different. I'm just speculating from my reaction of watching it happen to someone else.

Now this is not directed to you or anyone just an observation that I always ponder. We always say better to put them out of thier misery. Who's to say what will happen? Maybe they come free as easily as they went together and walk away. I did just have a doe put down she had no front legs and was broken up bad from a vehicle/deer collision. Chance of recovery ZERO ! Called the authorities and had her killed.

But this theory that it's better to kill them then let nature take it's course is self-serving! The deer with 1 broken leg. The deer with an infection of some sort. Whatever. Suppose that deer had the ability to talk (I know I Know I'm just saying) Do you think that deer would say"kill me now"? Or say "Hey let me take my chances".

If you had a broken leg out on a desert island with no chance of getting medical attention and only a pistol...Would you do the "right" thing? Sounds wacky when we apply human logic huh?

Why do we admire the survival skills ofpeople who get trapped under tractors andcut-off limbs with a pocket knife to escape? But if we saw a fox who chewed off his leg to escape a trap we'd do the honorable thing. Bet that guy who got out from under the tractor is glad he don'thop past your stand on the way out of the field!

OK GR8.....does the guy withthe cut off limbget to go to the hospital? Or....do we get to tell him to "just walk it off"?

Does how you handle the guyssituation change, based on the answer to your question?

Reminded me of this story:

http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-arm.html

All this for a piece of ass?!!!!

I understand where your coming from GR8...But in the world I live in animals dont talk and they have no way of healing...(hospital,doctors) So honestly you can not compare the two together. This is really a tough decision , but I would sleep better not letting them suffer. I would watch for awhile then I would make my decision and live with it!

Yup!! I would have got one and called a buddy to get the other

yes i would . if i remember right there is a longer version of that video they end up grabbing onto the deer when it is completely exhausted, and they cut the live deers antler off. even after they did that it stood there for a minute because he was just so tired

The question is this:
If you shot one and the live one drags the dead one across the property line and then dies on your side of the line. Could you drag the one you shot back over?

I would have shot one, in MI we get two tags, I would have shot them both