HOW TO: FINISH A DEER?
#31
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293

I carry a SOG seal pup with me when I hunt and in the trunk of my car. I have never had to do it to a deer in a hunting situation, but I have killed a few deer on the side of the road after accidents. I just put the knife thru the lungs like I was bow hunting and wait for them to die. It isn't pretty that is for sure. Deer don't bother me too much however, being a game animal. And woodchucks and bunnies don't bother me at all. With small game I just step on the head if they are not dead. It seems cruel but its very quick.
I grew up on a farm in the country though. I have put down more than a few animals in my life, and some my favorite pets. I've had to put down my own dog a few times and killed a little kitten once that had a slug in it's neck. It takes a special person to look a loved pet in they eye and pull a trigger. If you don't feel something when you do it I suggest you visit a shrink.
Watching an animal suffer is waay worse than actually doing the deed to me.
Paul
I grew up on a farm in the country though. I have put down more than a few animals in my life, and some my favorite pets. I've had to put down my own dog a few times and killed a little kitten once that had a slug in it's neck. It takes a special person to look a loved pet in they eye and pull a trigger. If you don't feel something when you do it I suggest you visit a shrink.
Watching an animal suffer is waay worse than actually doing the deed to me.
Paul
#32

It doesn't matter what kind of gun you use this can still happen. One time I shot a doe in the head to try and save meat. First shot the deer went straight down. Popped back up 2 seconds later. Second head shot, deer went straight down maybe 5 sec popped up again. Third shot, still trying to conserve meat went for the neck deer dropped, popped straight back up. This was with a 7mm mag with 150 gr ballistic tip bullets now I'm down to my last shell. Fourth shot double lung deer down for good. When I checked out the deer I shot off it's bottom jaw, blew off it's right eye along with half of the right side of it's face, grazed the spine on the back of it's neck and hit right behind the shoulder with the last shot. All of my shots were within 2-3 inches of where I was aiming. I felt sick when I seen this animal. After this deer I will never take a head shot at another deer as long as I live. I'ts just too small of a target and they are always moving their head.
#33
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 1

I just had that happen to me on the deer I just shot this year with my crossbow. I missed the lungs and shot him in the neck. I hate not getting a clean kill and it's getting harder the older I get. I do say a prayer for the animal giving up his life so I can eat it's flesh, but when a deer is wounded it's a responsablity of the hunter to make sure the animal is dispatched as humanely as possible. Sometimes I just wish I could take a picture with the animal and then let it go free like I do with fish. But then I would be able to enjoy it's delicious meat.
QUOTE=NEW61375;1555680]I never really encounter this problem during bow or rifle season but I almost always do during shotgun season. Finishing a downed deer. One that has been crippled or paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated. Now I have seen and used several methods but I have always been curious how others handle it. It gives me a weird feeling when I have to do this thatI can't really describe. I do know this, the first time you do it can be tough, ecspeciallyif you can't for whatever reason ground-check it(shoot it on the ground), which I don't really prefer anyway. I guess I'm notinterested in the methods as much as "Does anyone else relate to that feeling?" I'm sure someone does.A lot of times youare seperated/desensitized from the actual death of the animal by distance(rifle), it runs off-you trail it and find it dead already(bow), or other similar circumstances.But when it is just you and that animal in the woods and you have to end its life up close and personal, it's just different.[/QUOTE]
QUOTE=NEW61375;1555680]I never really encounter this problem during bow or rifle season but I almost always do during shotgun season. Finishing a downed deer. One that has been crippled or paralyzed or otherwise incapacitated. Now I have seen and used several methods but I have always been curious how others handle it. It gives me a weird feeling when I have to do this thatI can't really describe. I do know this, the first time you do it can be tough, ecspeciallyif you can't for whatever reason ground-check it(shoot it on the ground), which I don't really prefer anyway. I guess I'm notinterested in the methods as much as "Does anyone else relate to that feeling?" I'm sure someone does.A lot of times youare seperated/desensitized from the actual death of the animal by distance(rifle), it runs off-you trail it and find it dead already(bow), or other similar circumstances.But when it is just you and that animal in the woods and you have to end its life up close and personal, it's just different.[/QUOTE]
#34

Those of you who want to use a knife, why do you want to inflict more pain on the animal? Yu cut it's throat, even if you get it in one swipe you still get to stand there while it is bleeding to death and it is still suffering. Most hunters do not have a knife sharp enough to cut through deer hair and the flesh into the artery with one swipe, it is a wrong headed way to administer the coup degras .The fastest way to end the suffering right now is a bullet at the base of the skull from the rear, separate the spine from the brain.
#35

Those of you who want to use a knife, why do you want to inflict more pain on the animal? Yu cut it's throat, even if you get it in one swipe you still get to stand there while it is bleeding to death and it is still suffering. Most hunters do not have a knife sharp enough to cut through deer hair and the flesh into the artery with one swipe, it is a wrong headed way to administer the coup degras .The fastest way to end the suffering right now is a bullet at the base of the skull from the rear, separate the spine from the brain.
Its all the same for me. 100 yards, standing over top of it, ordering it at a restaurant is all the same. I wasn't blessed with out of sight out of mind.
Last edited by rockport; 11-30-2021 at 05:51 AM.
#36
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743

I never heard of such a thing
having spent a lot of time hunting many states and working in deer processing/butcher shops, I seen hundreds of deer that been shot more than once by the hunter or hunters!
#37

can you elaborate on what state there is a a law that say s you cannot shoot a hunted deer a second time?
I never heard of such a thing
having spent a lot of time hunting many states and working in deer processing/butcher shops, I seen hundreds of deer that been shot more than once by the hunter or hunters!
I never heard of such a thing
having spent a lot of time hunting many states and working in deer processing/butcher shops, I seen hundreds of deer that been shot more than once by the hunter or hunters!
There are no laws about how many times you shoot a deer. The laws are regarding when you can shoot a deer.
Last edited by rockport; 11-30-2021 at 07:21 AM.