Deer and ethics
03-16-2007, 07:42 AM
#11
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: Deer and ethics
1) Breaking a deer's spine does not kill it...it only paralizes it down from the area where the spine is broken...
2) You have to abide by each states law...Like it or not...
3) About the dumbest thing you can do is try to dispatch a deer with a knife...Remember the post about the guy roping a deer, they are stronger than they look...
4) Even if you "carry" it's not good "press" for hunters to pull out a pistol and dispatch a deer on a busy highway, might get you in trouble and it just plain looks bad to the public...
Let the proper authorities take care of the situation, that's what we pay them for...
2) You have to abide by each states law...Like it or not...
3) About the dumbest thing you can do is try to dispatch a deer with a knife...Remember the post about the guy roping a deer, they are stronger than they look...
4) Even if you "carry" it's not good "press" for hunters to pull out a pistol and dispatch a deer on a busy highway, might get you in trouble and it just plain looks bad to the public...
Let the proper authorities take care of the situation, that's what we pay them for...
03-16-2007, 08:25 AM
#12
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: WC FL
Posts: 26,323
RE: Deer and ethics
ORIGINAL: nchawkeye
1) Breaking a deer's spine does not kill it...it only paralizes it down from the area where the spine is broken...
2) You have to abide by each states law...Like it or not...
3) About the dumbest thing you can do is try to dispatch a deer with a knife...Remember the post about the guy roping a deer, they are stronger than they look...
4) Even if you "carry" it's not good "press" for hunters to pull out a pistol and dispatch a deer on a busy highway, might get you in trouble and it just plain looks bad to the public...
Let the proper authorities take care of the situation, that's what we pay them for...
1) Breaking a deer's spine does not kill it...it only paralizes it down from the area where the spine is broken...
2) You have to abide by each states law...Like it or not...
3) About the dumbest thing you can do is try to dispatch a deer with a knife...Remember the post about the guy roping a deer, they are stronger than they look...
4) Even if you "carry" it's not good "press" for hunters to pull out a pistol and dispatch a deer on a busy highway, might get you in trouble and it just plain looks bad to the public...
Let the proper authorities take care of the situation, that's what we pay them for...
03-16-2007, 01:11 PM
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 239
RE: Deer and ethics
ORIGINAL: djschuett
A few summers back while on I-94 in central MN, I saw a doe and fawn trying to cross 6 lanes of 70MPH highway. The doe made it, but the fawn got clipped pretty good by a car and went spiraling through the air.
I pulled over and my buddies and I started looking for the fawn. I found her about 30 feet off the road in some thick grass and from the look of things, she was laying right where she landed. She was still breathing and whimpering, however her front legs were both broken as was her left rear leg and femur was sticking through the skin. She also had blood coming out of her ear (in humans this virtually guarantees a skull fracture).
Knowing that she would likely be suffering for some time before either bleeding out internally or externally or starving to death/dying of dehydration, I decided putting her out would be the merciful thing to do, so I lifted her head with my boot, turned it around backwards as far as it would go and then pushed until I heard and felt her spine break. As much as it sucked to have to see an animal die needlessly, I slept better that night knowing that I had minimized her suffering rather than letting her suffer.
A few summers back while on I-94 in central MN, I saw a doe and fawn trying to cross 6 lanes of 70MPH highway. The doe made it, but the fawn got clipped pretty good by a car and went spiraling through the air.
I pulled over and my buddies and I started looking for the fawn. I found her about 30 feet off the road in some thick grass and from the look of things, she was laying right where she landed. She was still breathing and whimpering, however her front legs were both broken as was her left rear leg and femur was sticking through the skin. She also had blood coming out of her ear (in humans this virtually guarantees a skull fracture).
Knowing that she would likely be suffering for some time before either bleeding out internally or externally or starving to death/dying of dehydration, I decided putting her out would be the merciful thing to do, so I lifted her head with my boot, turned it around backwards as far as it would go and then pushed until I heard and felt her spine break. As much as it sucked to have to see an animal die needlessly, I slept better that night knowing that I had minimized her suffering rather than letting her suffer.
03-16-2007, 03:48 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,476
RE: Deer and ethics
While your answer is the truley correct one from a legal standpoint, it doesn't respond to the original poster's question... Which is "What would you do?"
Your answer would lead us to believe that you would wait for the authorities....
Would you?
I would dispatch the deer if I could do so considering my own personal physical safety. A handgun would be perfect, or a 2 lb ball peen hammer would suffice.
Cruel though a hammer may seem to those who have not dispatched an animal like this, it can be more swift and "clean' than a decently placed bullet.
It is an interesting dilemma. Hunters that pursue and kill deer wanting to help ease the same animal's pain when fatally but accidentally injured.
I have put a few deer down when it was illegal. I also know that it was morally responsible and ethically unquestionable. I have hopes that if I had been caught a good judge would have offered me a suspended sentence or at least an appropriately well thought out punishment.
Either way I'd accept it b/c I accepted the possible punishment when I knowingly broke the legal stricture even while obeying my moral compass.
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer that fits all. There is each persons decision.
Your answer would lead us to believe that you would wait for the authorities....
Would you?
I would dispatch the deer if I could do so considering my own personal physical safety. A handgun would be perfect, or a 2 lb ball peen hammer would suffice.
Cruel though a hammer may seem to those who have not dispatched an animal like this, it can be more swift and "clean' than a decently placed bullet.
It is an interesting dilemma. Hunters that pursue and kill deer wanting to help ease the same animal's pain when fatally but accidentally injured.
I have put a few deer down when it was illegal. I also know that it was morally responsible and ethically unquestionable. I have hopes that if I had been caught a good judge would have offered me a suspended sentence or at least an appropriately well thought out punishment.
Either way I'd accept it b/c I accepted the possible punishment when I knowingly broke the legal stricture even while obeying my moral compass.
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer that fits all. There is each persons decision.
03-16-2007, 06:38 PM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MN USA
Posts: 1,392
RE: Deer and ethics
If you have the means to put it out of it's misery, well then I say you do it.
Any state that has laws preventing a citizen from doing that common sense decent thing has lost it's way.
There are many places in states/cities where it could take several hours for a sheriff or policeman to respond to such a call.
If all you have is a sharp hunting or fillet knife cut the aortic arch or carotid arteries from top of the breast bone (sternum) the pointing the knife blade in at a 60 degree angle and out through both side of the lower neck.
Then I'd field dress it and see that it was cooled down and made us of by someone. Maybe you can't get into the field dressing in business clothes. But I'd think that someone who wasn't would stop and give you a hand and share the meat with them or a food shelf.
Any state that has laws preventing a citizen from doing that common sense decent thing has lost it's way.
There are many places in states/cities where it could take several hours for a sheriff or policeman to respond to such a call.
If all you have is a sharp hunting or fillet knife cut the aortic arch or carotid arteries from top of the breast bone (sternum) the pointing the knife blade in at a 60 degree angle and out through both side of the lower neck.
Then I'd field dress it and see that it was cooled down and made us of by someone. Maybe you can't get into the field dressing in business clothes. But I'd think that someone who wasn't would stop and give you a hand and share the meat with them or a food shelf.
03-16-2007, 08:03 PM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Deer and ethics
If you saw a Skunk on the road - with its back legs crushed by a car - flopping around in the road - would you feel as compelled to"end its life" too? What about a Snake? Why not a frog?
Where and why do you draw a line?
I understand where you are coming from, and ashunters we are taught to take life as swiftlyas possible(I think that is anhonorable goal)- I'm not sure I would not finish off a mortally wounded deer either, but at the same time -no one ever said death was pretty or fair.
FH
Where and why do you draw a line?
I understand where you are coming from, and ashunters we are taught to take life as swiftlyas possible(I think that is anhonorable goal)- I'm not sure I would not finish off a mortally wounded deer either, but at the same time -no one ever said death was pretty or fair.
FH
03-16-2007, 11:39 PM
#17
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: WISCONSIN
Posts: 482
RE: Deer and ethics
I had a similar situation happen here in IL. I came around the corner on a country road to watch a guy wrestling with a small buck in the ditch off to the side of the road - with his car parked on the opposite side. I pulled over to see what this "numbskull" was doing wrestling with the deer thinking it was some "city slicker" type of guy that had hit it and was doing only god-knows-what with it. This happened in the middle of deer season, so I litterally jump out of my truck with my orange pants on, knife in my hand. Get over to him, ask if he hit it, ect, ect.. since he finally got it to the ground, got his story - someone else hit it, he came up to it flopping around in the road ( broken back ) and was only trying to get it off the road.
We called the DNR, no response ( it was a sunday ), so come to find out he's a hunter too. He did the deed, which I was glad for since I didnt know the laws regarding killing it. He told me he'd find someone to give the meat to, so I left. The damned thing is still laying there rotting 4-5 months later.
either way though, it didnt suffer long.
We called the DNR, no response ( it was a sunday ), so come to find out he's a hunter too. He did the deed, which I was glad for since I didnt know the laws regarding killing it. He told me he'd find someone to give the meat to, so I left. The damned thing is still laying there rotting 4-5 months later.
either way though, it didnt suffer long.
03-17-2007, 05:34 PM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MN USA
Posts: 1,392
RE: Deer and ethics
Farm Hunter - Common sense you don't stop and try to handle a skunk. If I had a firearm and it was in the country, yes I would.
"Snake or frog" isn't there some understanding of higher level of animals? Besides neither are likely to survive being run over by several thousand pound vehicle.
Besides I did say you had to do this, if you're skimish and don't care that a large wild animal has been injured and without someone intervening will suffer for some time. I just said I would and I think the ethical thing to do is to put a deer or moose out of its misery as soon as possible, if you have the means and you won't endanger yourself or anyone else in the process. If that's not possible, well then you don't have a choice do you?
"Snake or frog" isn't there some understanding of higher level of animals? Besides neither are likely to survive being run over by several thousand pound vehicle.
Besides I did say you had to do this, if you're skimish and don't care that a large wild animal has been injured and without someone intervening will suffer for some time. I just said I would and I think the ethical thing to do is to put a deer or moose out of its misery as soon as possible, if you have the means and you won't endanger yourself or anyone else in the process. If that's not possible, well then you don't have a choice do you?
03-18-2007, 07:55 AM
#20
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Weatherford, TX
Posts: 557
RE: Deer and ethics
YOu need to follow the laws of each state, ethics dont play into it....Here in Texas it is against the law to touch a game animal that has been hit by a car, there is part of the law that allows you do dispatch a animal that has been hit on the road, BUT the law enforcement officers can still write you a tickit, and the law was designed for a defence in court...
And yes I too have seen people sawing horns off of road kill buck, even if it is against the law in Texas..
And yes I too have seen people sawing horns off of road kill buck, even if it is against the law in Texas..