Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Your hunting a particular buck (150 class deer or better), you have a buck come in or by your stand that is a nice buck (120's class buck) but you want to pass on him. You notice he's limping really bad and seems hurt. You have 1 deer tag. What do you do?

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Thats a tough one. I guess it depends on if I can tell why he's limping (bullet-arrow wound). If I don't think he'll live I think I would take him out.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Man, thats a tough scenario. If I don't think the limping buck will make it I will put him down. That 120" buck isn't bad at all and odds are the one I am after might not even come into bow range.

About 15 years ago I was watching an old buck that got by on 3 legs. Although I saw him several times that season I could not get in range. When I was here he was there and vice versa. The last time I saw him he was RUNNING across a plowed field on his 3 good legs with the rear left leg just dangling.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

If I thought that the buck was injured badly enough that he might not make it, I'd take him. Reguardless of size.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Easy for me I've never killed a 120 class buck so limping or not the 120's getting a arrow flung at him.:D

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Pass! If your really serious on the 150c? Wait on the one you want. Just becouse he`s limping does not mean he is going to die? Animals get hurt all the time thats just the way nature is! Don`t use that excuse to settle for something less than what you want (IMO) Although if a 120c buck comes my way he going down!

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

A small (2x3) went by my stand a few weeks into the season with an arrow in his neck. It had obviously not hit the jugular or the spine. I tried to put him down, but he took off before I could draw.

I would rather put him out of his misery and avoid having others see a deer with an arrow wound than wait for a trophy.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

I dont know,got to think about it

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

A deer with a bad leg is no big deal. I have seen many still surviving well on 3 legs. I have one living around my house now for over a year with a bad leg.
a 120 walks by me and it could have 3 legs or 10 legs its getting drilled.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

So would i - But a deer limping is a big difference than one with an arrow stuck in his neck

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

"you can't eat horns" :)

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Don`t tell me you have been trying to eat the horns?:D

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

I think that the real question is that if you are in your stand and a deer (of any size) comes by and your convinced that the deer is injured (insert any type of injury here) badly enough that it's not going to make it much longer, do you take it and give up your only tag, or do you let it pass in hopes that the big buck your after comes by? I'm gonna shoot the deer.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

SSS

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Mice do. :D

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Think ethics and you decide. I know what I would do, I would take the deer out because I hate to see animals suffer but it is yer decision and I am sure you would make the right one.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

If i've got a shot at the 120inch buck, im taking it no question.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

i agree with DoubleCreek on this one... S S S.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

ahhh...well...err...I needed some calcium...i shoulda just took the tablets...sorry wittle mice! [:-]:eek: Oh Well!

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

It's a tough question ,I'd take him if he was seriously injured.Such as blood from being shot or arrowed.

nubo

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

I'd use my tag to finish off a badly wounded deer - yes

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

I was in this same scenario about 4 years ago on my fathers property in PA. We practiced QDM, and shot nothing without 8 points or it had to be mature and wider than it's ears. First morning, a 4 point yearling walked by with a front leg blown off from the neighbors property who did not practice QDM. I put him down and ended the season early. I would rather end it early and miss my opp on a larger buck than know there is a wasted deer in the woods rotting......better off in my freezer than rotting in the woods. Just MHO. He tasted good too..........

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

I have no doubt believing that any one on here would take an injured animal if he or she believed that the animal was hurt bad enuff that it would not make it! or if one came buy you with an arrow stuck in it or with a bad gun shot wound? But just one limping buy you? Not coused buy hunter or another animal? Just a springed legg? Would it make any differnece if it were a spike? Not a 120c and you only had one buck tag. And he came buy just limping?(IMO) Only the hunter can decide at that time weather the enjury is bad enuff to take it or let it walk?

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

A freind of mine killed a buck a few years back that had been shot before season and was in very bad shape. He took it to the check station and they called the gamewarden and he came and looked at it and they used a state tag on it and let my buddy keep his tag!!!!!!!!! this happened in Ohio

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Let nature worry about nature. In other words youre part of nature, If you choose to shoot him or not it doesn,t matter. There is no right or wrong. I would probably jump out of my stand on his back and knife him.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Judgement call on whether you think it will make it or not. If below the knee, they will make it. We had a doe running the farm I work at. She had lost her leg right at the knee. See raised two very healthy fawns that summer and raised triplets the next summer. She was fat and in good shape during the winter. I shot a buck that had lost a leg right at the knee. He was fat, the wound was very old from the looks of the callous and would have survived a long time should I of passed.

Above the knee especially if shot with rifle, I would shoot it if I was offered a chance. More then likely they won't make it. Infection will likely set in if damaged bad.

Tim

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Yes I would take a wounded deer.... If it were legal.

A scenario that I ran into about 2 years back, a year into PA's antler restrictions:

A youth hunter (exempt from AR's) took a very marginal shot on a small forkhorn. He shot it right in the butt. The deer came straight to my stand. I could tell it was hurt bad, but was still moving at a pretty good clip. As he quartered away from me, I could see that a large chunk of his hind quarter was blown off. I could have shot the deer illegally and potentially could have been fined.

A little bit later I see the youth and his father tracking the deer. I pointed them in the right direction. The never found the deer though.

At the point that the the deer came by, I did not know there was a youth hunter in the area. I saw an illegal buck that had been shot. I didn't want to put down a deer that somebody just took a crack shot at without seeing that it was illegal to take, so I passed. I didn't want to take the wrap for somebody elses mistake. It was not until after they came by did I have my regrets.

But hey. You can't turn back time.

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

PAHUNTER21

In my state, once you shot a deer...you have taken on all responsibility. If wounded and you finished it off, it better be tagged. They won't issue you another tag. If you see one wounded and you have no tag, you call the warden or walk away to stay legal. You are considered a poacher and will be prosecuted as one should you do the honorable thing to end it's suffering. Right or wrong, I can see why they have such a tough law when reguarding wounded deer.

I won't say what I would do in this situation, nor would I condemn someone who walked away or dealt with the situation. It is a judgement call that is up to the hunter who is faced with the problem at the time.

Tim

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

Shoot, Skin, Smoke? :D

RE: Mercy Kill ? Scenario
 

A 120" deer is HUGE for our area. It would be down wounded or not. I do think if I was hunitng better land... I would still shoot it. I hate to see animals suffer.