I've never been in that type of situation but I would rather take a second close shot and let it finish the deer off than get too close. You can't predict what a wounded animal will do. Just make sure the second shot is one that will get the job done.

A few years back I heard of a guy who shot a buck, and he then walked up to the deer thinking that it had expired.When he approached the deer he never checked the deer to see if it was still alive ,he grabbed the deer by the horn's and went to slit his throat.The deer reard with his head and caught the hunter in an artery in his leg with his horn. The hunter never made it back to his vehicle before he died.This can and did happen so be very careful when you approach a downed animal. I heard this story a few years back on the news coming home from a moose hunt .

nubo

I have done it before on deer under the right conditions. The first deer that I ever killed kept trying to get away even after I had shot it in the chest! I was using my muzzleloader on a rainy day and it would not go off a second time. The deer kept getting further and further away until I decided that I had to stop it. I grabbed it by the horns(it was a small spike) and I proceeded to put it out of its misery. I regret that I had to slit its throat, but I would way rather take charge than to have the animal get away wounded. I think that is the most inhumane thing you can do. You owe it to the animal to do the job quickly and effectively.

however, I think that if the hunter is in danger of getting hurt while approaching the animal you need to excercise a little more caution and shoot it again. My grandpa had one try to attack him while grabbing the deer's head to slit its throat. Luckily, my dad was with him and he got ahold of the deer before it could get to grandpa. No matter what the condition is you need to make sure the animal is totally expired before you get too friendly with it.

Hundreds of moons ago, when I was sixteen and very inexperienced, I shot my first buck (shotgun) and managed to shoot the only 5 shells I brought with me (I still can't believe it takes more then that many to kill one deer). The buck was still alive and dragging itself. I couldn't just sit there and watch it, so I grabbed one antler, stood behind it, and cut it's throat. Looking back on it, I realize it was dangerous, but I'm sure I'll do it again if ever presented with that situation. However, if I have amo or an arrow, I'm shooting first.

Years ago, I shot a small buck, nubbins, with my bow. After about 3 hours of trailing, we finally found it and it was still alive and trying to get up. We sat for another 15 minutes and decided I would take my knife and finish the job. It wasn't moving very much at this point and getting weaker so I just wanted to put it out of its misery. The guy with me put a big branch on the back legs so it wouldn't be able to do anything there, I got up behind it, stepped on an ear and slit the throat, it only took about 15 seconds to be done with. Would I do it again ??? I don't know, the conditions need to be just right.

Yep, my brother wounded his first buck with a bow, ended up dropping his arrows somehow, and all I had was a knife. So he held the antlers and I slit it's throat. It needed to be done so I did it. That was back before either of us could even drive. But we still got the job done, safe and quickly.

And ruin my mount????

I don't think so