Crippled Deer – What would you do?

[Bait Bucket]

I was hunting ducks today along the river. I was hidden on a sand bar in a well camo'ed coffin blind when a deer approached that had it's lower jaw shot off. It was trying to drink but couldn't.

I'm new to Oregon and I only have a bird hunting license. (I can't get a resident license until March of next year.) Should I put the animal out of it's misery or leave it to starve to death? What would you do?

[ 11-25-2003, 06:20 PM: Message edited by: Bait Bucket ]

[rock bottom]

Call the fish and game they should be able to take care of it for you.

[Mello-Yello]

Yep, the legal thing is to report it to fish and game or OSP. In the old days, they'd have someone right out to take care of it. However, with all the cut-backs, I'm not sure they'd have time to deal with it.

Once again, we find ourselves torn between the law, and common ethics. If I were in the middle of nowhere, and felt I was likely to get away with it, I'd put the poor thing out of it's misery. To me it's just the thing to do.

A few years ago I was elk hunting in WA. Came across a range cow that appeared to be sick. It was in some small timber. It was laying on it's side, and couldn't get on it's feet. It had snot running out of it's nose, and slothing all over the place. I'm guessing it's lungs were filling with fluid.

I considered dispatching it, but unfortunately I was bowhunting. There was no way I was gonna put a broadhead hole in this thing. Can you imagine the stories that would come from the next guy to happen onto it? "Blankety Blank Bowhunters!"

It really hurt me to just leave it, but I couldn't think of a decent way to put it down. The next morning I was in the same general area so I checked in on it. It was dead.

Welcome to real life I guess...

[wade]

I'd say either shoot it yourself and then report it right away and don't touch it, or just report it like rock bottom said. Personally I'd shoot it. I saw a deer hobbling across the road one time on its bare, jagged upper leg bone stubs, the lower parts of the legs (the front legs) whipping around loosely but still attached by hide. It had obviously just got hit in the front legs by a car, talk about two compound fractures, geez. I stopped and pulled over and walked back to it, and it got to the guardrail and couldn't jump over it, and was trapped. It was making a desparate kinda mewing sound, I imagine it was screaming to put it into a human context. I went back to the van and got my sledge hammer and put the poor thing out of its misery. On my way home shortly down the road I met a state trooper and turned around to go back and speak to him, expecting he was answering a call for the deer from somebody. When I got to the deer, sure enough the cop was getting out of his car at the deer, with his pistol drawn expecting to shoot it. When I got to him I explained what I'd done, and he was appreciative that he didn't have to discharge his weapon on it.

So what'd you do bait bucket?

Kevin

I would have shot it and taken it to the closest ODF&G office.

[troybuz]

A few years ago a couple buddies came across a deer that could not stand up...most likely from being hit by a car. They called ODFW and recieved permission to shoot it. They also asked them to clean it and abg it...they said they would come and get it.
The next week on thier return trip the animal was still there on the side of the road in the deer bags.
Wasted time, wasted animal...Bummer.
:whazzup:

[2LEYS]

I would have shot it and then called the dfw anonymously (sp?). Just to make sure that I won't lose my liscense by doing the right thing.

Maybe in an area where there are cougars and bears I might not have shot it. Figure it will get eaten before it suffers too much. But I don't know. Might still shoot it.

[Uglygreen]

Here is the actual law on the matter - it has been since 1973

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Oregon Revised Statute 498.016 - Taking crippled or helpless wildlife.

Nothing in the wildlife laws is intended to prohibit any person from killing any crippled or helpless wildlife when the killing is done for a humane purpose. Any person so killing any wildlife shall immediately report such killing to a person authorized to enforce the wildlife laws, and shall dispose of the wildlife in such manner as the State Fish and Wildlife Commission directs. [1973 c.723 §76]

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UG

[ 11-25-2003, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: Uglygreen ]

[2LEYS]

An intelligent law??? Who woulda thunk. That is pretty cool though.

[rock bottom]

Good call UG. I learned something new today. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[Mello-Yello]

Good call Ug!

I think where most people get in trouble is when they decide to do something with the animal. Still, if I were in the boonies, I'd dispatch the animal. But it's doubtful I'd contact the authorities. They have enough to deal with, and nature will take care of the carcus.

Ever notice how the Californian Vulture shows up right before bow season? :shocked: We've been making comments about that for the last 15 years...about time bowhunting started to take off.

This coming from one of those bowhunters...

[Killertraylor]

That sucks. I hate to hear stories of animals that are suffering - reminds me of the elk at sea last year. I usually carry a few rounds of buckshot in my duck hunting bag for coyotes that sometimes come down close to our duck lake (don't try this on a public hunt area - OSP would cite you for having lead shot) - I'd have shot it with one of those.

[Bait Bucket]

How many people know about this law? I can't find it in the hunting regulations! If I would have known this I could have killed it at five feet.As it is, the wounded animal is still suffering tonight. Man. Do I feel like crap at the moment.

Even if it were illegal ending this animals suffering would have been the right and ethical thing to do.

No need to feel bad about it though. Live and learn.

[ 11-25-2003, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[wade]

Suffering or not I can guarantee you he didn't want to die. Sleep well tonight.

Kevin

[id. painter]

I have dispatched two sick cows , and a crippled deer. The deer had been hit by a car . the cows were both like someone described above.One had been dumped by the rancher after he shot it in the head with something like a .22.The .22 didnt kill it . I was shocked at how fast the birds and cyotes took care of the remains. I shot a cow in a meadow that we walked up to hunt elk. We were scouting before the season (one week). When we came back to hunt you couldnt even tell there had been a beef there. I spent a bit of time looking for any sign of it ,, I found a partial hoof about 20 yards away. id. painter

[fishin]

I live on a heavy traffic hiway. Last year during general rifle season there was a fork buck that was hit by a vehicle bedded down next to the hiway across the road from my dirveway. It suprised me when I went to pull out and saw a buck staring at me :shocked: . Since I knew something was out of the usual I stopped to see if he would spook and run off. When he stood up it was easy to tell he had a broken hind leg and had gotten stoved up when he laid down. The "ethical part of me" thought to run up to the house and call a buddy that had a valid tag and put him down. The "lawful part of me" said to call OSP and make sure it was OK first.

When I called OSP the gentleman on the phone said that I was not allowed to have someone take the animal because he was next to the road and that the meat would be no good because the animal was tramatized. He said they would send someone out to dispatch the animal.

Since it was the weekend I spent most of the day around the house watching hunters slow look at the buck and drive away until finally the buck was able to hobble over the neighboors fence. Even had a couple of guys stop by the house and ask about getting permission to take him on the neighboors property. Since the neighboors were'nt home.

Never did see any law enforcement show up to dispatch the deer. I would have finally done it myself, but since he was still within 100' of the road the "lawful part of me" still said it was not legal to shoot him. I don't fault OSP for the slow response because I am sure it was a low priority since it was during the busy time. But I do not beleive I will handle it the same way if it happens again.

[Slow Roll]

There is no good way to deal with crippled animals. In MT you see a lot of animals hit by vehicles. Usually had a .357 to take care of the ones that I came across, after calling the F&G of course.
Worst one was a doe with twin fawns. The guy couldn't bring himself to dispatch the doe with the fawns there (his daughter was so upset that she wouldn't let him get near the doe). All I had was my knife and I wasn't going to let the doe suffer. I was like she knew I was going to end it for her. She closed her eyes when I put my hand on her neck and didn't even flich when I cut her jugular. A few minutes later she was gone. The fawns ran off across the field to another set of does and left. Kind of a happy ending.

I helped the father explain to his daughter as best I could that these things happen and it was best for the deer to be put down rather than suffer. I felt good that I was there to do what had to be done but horrible that I couldn't do it in a more humane/faster way.

I know how you feel, we all do. Your conscious may not agree with the laws be we still have to follow them. Real life sucks somedays.

Paul B.

[tommy2915]

Thanks UG for posting the law on this. Something im sure alot of us didnt know.

[fishncliff]

Thanx again for posting the law.
In washington it is a misdemeanor to take care of the animal.They just let them suffer and go to waste.
In 1997,my hunting buddy and I came across a doe that was hit by a car,she was pregnant.When we came upon her she was still alive but injured severely.No hope of survival. :depressed:
We discussed what to do and decided to dispatch her with my 357.After she was gone we noticed a movement in her stomach.Without hesitation,Pat grabbed his knife and opened her up and out popped the fawn.After cleaning her face up and helping her start breathing we were pretty happy with ourselves.We called the shelter and they came to the fawn's rescue .A trooper came along.
He cited me for discharging my handgun next to the road,possesing a deer out of season and harrassing wildlife [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] .We tried,along with the shelter rep.to explain the humane reasons we did what we did,but to no avail.He also confiscated my handgun and said I was lucky he didn't arrest me for reckless endangerment.In his words, "Someone could have been hurt" [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]
I went court,plead not guilty,explained what we did, and the judge dismissed the case right there.
Took me 4 weeks to get my gun back,the prosecutor said he still might pursue reckless charges against me.I went to the judge and he issued a bench order to cease all actions and release my property ,ie my gun.
I will never have anything to do with king county ever again.Oh yeah the doe was left to rot. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[tramp]

no question, end the suffering.

[McBaine]

Agreed!

[Mello-Yello]

I think we've come to concensus on this. We can't let the poor thing suffer.

However...should one of you find me limping down an ATV trail with a broken leg, leave me be! No hammer to the head, no .357, no jugler vein. Just leave me be...

This reminded me of a sad/cute story...sorry

I had a yellow lab years ago that had lived his life complete. He'd reached a point where he could no longer get on his feet. He'd lay on the floor and wet himself. He'd look at me like..."Sorry Dad, I just can't help it..." :depressed:

Well, thinking I knew everything, I did what I thought I had to do. Took him to my favorite elk hunting spot and sent him off to retriever heaven. Without a doubt, one of the worst days of my life...

My youngest daughter was maybe 4 yrs. old. She asked "where'd Daddy go with Bailey?" My older daughter told her "Bailey got sick, so Daddy took him up in the woods and killed him". :shocked:

About a week later, my youngest daughter came down with a cold. I'd get home from work and ask, "How you feelin honey?" "Fine!" she'd insist. It took me two days to figure out why she was being so 'tuff'. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

M-Y

[Full Freezer]

For those of you who have done the humane thing, Thank You.

In fact, I have heard of something really terrible. All of the Sea Lions in the Columbia area have contracted a contagious disease called Allyoucanscarfspringeritis. This condition is evident by the bloated bellies, loud burping & glazed eyes and the peak of infection occurs between March & May. Eventually they will all die & it is best they be put out of their collective miseries. I'd do it but you guys are so much better shots than I. :grin:

It's the humane thing to do. :depressed:

My condolences to the poor suffering pinepeds. :tongue:

Just make sure you do it on the Oregon side since they are more understanding.

Give the poor sea lions a herring stuffed with a gelatin capsule full of calcium carbide. This will cure them :shocked: