I'm hunting one morning and a doe steps out. She is badly injured. She can't put any weight on one of her back legs and has a severe limp on one of her front legs. Normally I would waste no time in putting her down. The only problem is that it is not an either sex day. She is obviously in bad shape. I put my crosshairs on her but decide not to shoot. That night all I could think about was should I have taken her. I thought about coyotes or dogs taking her down. I know it's nature but I hate to see her suffer or go to waste. I tell myself if I see her tomorrow I am going to take her. The next morning guess who steps out in the exact same place? She still looks bad. I put my crosshairs on her again. What do I do? It's a tough decision. Should I be ethical and shoot her or should I be legal and let her go? What would you have done in this situation? I will tell you what I did after I see a few of your responses.

I would shoot it, then ignore the preaching that is soon to follow here.

However, if it now looks like the deer is staying in that area, it might be worth calling the local game warden andasking him what should be done.

I would shoot. The law is always correct, but it is certainly not always ethical.

Was this in a high fence?

As much as I hate to see an animal suffer, I would not shoot it. Calling the warden would be the right thing to do. No way am I taking the chance of a fine, probation, community service, being on your record and my worst nightmare: losing my hunting privileges!

In this situation, everyone has an opinion on what the "best" decision is.

Some will say to follow the law regardless and iothers will say do the ethical thing regardless of what the law says.

I know what I would have done.

Whatever you did, it appears that you took a lot of time to think about it and you made a decision based on what "you" thought was best. That IMO is all that can be asked of anyone.

Depends on if there are open/severe wounds on the doe. I have a doe that stays in our backyard area and has been there for at least 5 years that has a severe limp in her front shoulder. She has two fawns every year and other than the limp she does fine. I probably would pass on shooting the doe and let mother nature take its course.

I would shoot........ a call to the nearest warden. Doing the right thing is never wrong.

I would shoot