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Wounded deer

Old 08-06-2004, 07:51 PM
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Default Wounded deer

If you saw a deer that was shot by a poacher out of season, and there was 0% chance of survival, would you ease the pain and shoot it? I don't know if I would. I would want to help it expire quickly and painlessly, but would I be considered a poacher?
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Old 08-06-2004, 07:54 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

I wouldn't shoot it. To me, if you take game out of season, or by methods not allowed where you hunt you are poaching. Intent doesn't matter in the eyes of the law. IMO
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Old 08-06-2004, 07:56 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

Would you be considered a poacher....Definitely not to anyone that is familiar with hunting. If you come upon a wounded animal that is going to suffer, I know my first intention is to put it out of it's misery. However, in the state of Michigan this is against the law. If you come upon a car deer accident, and the deer has no chance of surviving and is struggling, you still have to wait for an officer to arrive and allow them to put the animal down. That law kind of sucks but I'm sure there is reasoning to it.
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Old 08-06-2004, 08:13 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

Well the law is pretty clear like it or not. If you shoot a deer out of season without a permitt to do that deer is considered poached. doesn't matter the reason in the eyes of the law. Like the above post says. if the deer is lying there you are supposed to call the authorities and they will come and put it down if that is what they decide to do.

Don't get into the thinking that you know what is best for the wild life. I've seen all kinds of animals hurt, some of them so bad I didn't think they would make it. Some I never saw again and some I saw all healed up and doing fine. How does anyone really know how bad an animal is hurt? You would have to catch it, X ray it do all kinds of test on it and have a vet interput the results for ya.

I always shake my head when people think a deer should be put down because it appears to hurt to live. All you are really doing is looking for a reason to kill something. Hunters don't really need to do mother natures work, she will take care of the deer in her own way.

mercy killings are not really needed at all when it comes to wildlife.
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Old 08-06-2004, 08:41 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

Guess I never really thought about the fact that everything happens for a reason.
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Old 08-06-2004, 09:26 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

A wounded thread 30 days before the season. ARRRGGHH.
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Old 08-06-2004, 10:01 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

I think there are exceptions. The letter of the law and the spirit of the law on occasion can clash. I do agree animals can survive injuries that boggle the mind. However there are some injuries that occur where they obviously are not going to recover from and then I think the humane thing to do is put them down.

For Example, I arrowed a doe one time (during season) that had horrific injuries from being hit by a vehicle. Both front legs were broke and the bones were sticking through the skin and dry. Her hooves were turned completely and permanently backwards and though her body was trying to heal she was full of infection where the bones were mending. She was totally emaciated (I have seen more meat on a chipmunk) and it looked like perhaps a dog or something had bit her in the behind. The odor coming from her wounds was enough to knock down a moose. When I finally figured out what I was looking at, I put an arrow through her and ended her suffering. It was a sight I have never forgot. She was at least a half mile from any road and judging from the progression of her wounds she had been in this condition for a week or more. It really was one of the saddest things I have witnessed in the animal kingdom in many years of studying nature.

With that in mind a year ago or so (out of season) a young doe was laying in a hay field next to my house. The first day I saw her I didn't think much about it. She had her head up and seemed alert. Low and behold she was in the same spot the next day. Then I had a suspicion that she is more than likely injured. Sure enough when I stopped, she tried to struggle to her feet but just wasn't strong enough to get up, she could only flail. I backed off and called a number for the DNR. I got a machine and left a message. I reluctantly worked around the place all day and in the afternoon one of the neighbors stopped to tell me about the injured deer on the adjacent property. I told him that I was waiting for a visit or a call from the DNR before I would do anything so I wouldn't get a citation but inside me I felt guilty. I felt like I was doing something that I knew wasn't right. To this day I am ashamed that I let that deer suffer for most of the day. When my neighbor left I had all I could stand and loaded up one of my guns and shot that poor thing. I felt so guilty that I decided to shoot it from a distance so it wouldn't try to get up and experience anymore pain. It still stuggled some when it saw me coming but it couldn't get up. One shot and the pain was gone.

You know the DNR never did return my call that I am aware of. Call me a poacher, a softy, a criminal, whatever you want, it won't hurt near as bad as denying my own conscience. There are a number of things in my life that I am ashamed of. Letting that deer suffer that long is certainly one of them. I know better, but I was so concerned about my image, violating a law that I could be cited for and branded a poacher, that I let it stand in the way of my convictions. I don't think I will make that mistake again.
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Old 08-06-2004, 10:27 PM
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Antler Eater, Great post, I couldnt agree more.
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Old 08-06-2004, 10:39 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

I'd definetly call the ministry first and tell them the siuation ,but by no mean's destroy it without them being there ,as B2Simple said in there eye's you could be the poacher and not a concerned citizen and you'll be the one paying for some one elses crime .The ministry or the police need to know first and they'll have to investigate the situation first .The last thing you want to do is show up at a butcher shop with a shot animal out of season ,because that will make you the poacher in their eye's.

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Old 08-06-2004, 11:26 PM
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Default RE: Wounded deer

if its on my land and it will die then i would. one year i found a deer that had a busted up leg hanging by the skin. it was in season so i shot it and ate it. is that not alot like eating a cow that fell on some ice broke its back. thats the beef i was eat to this day
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