Crippled Deer

[maros91]

What do you guys do when a cripple comes along? I was hunting today and at about noon I see a deer. It is hobbling bad towards me. It attempts to jump the creek/ditch and trips and falls. It gets up only to start hobbling again and only walking on 3 feet, carrying the left front foot in the air. It is a managed area and I decide to take the deer which was a doe fawn that was no bigger than my dog. I figured I will eat it rather than wolves or coyotes getting this little bugger when the temps get cold and the snow piles up. What would you guys do?

[Rozman]

My opinion, you did the right thing. Tough to see a deer struggling/suffering like that.

[JDM]

With the proper tag, I would have done exactly what you did. IMHO the fawns taste the best!

[Rost]

I once shot a badly wounded deer one week after the season and left it lay. It was shot in the front shoulder and had gangreen (sp) really bad. Called the warden and asked first though. No sense in letting an animal suffer.

[Eric Wettschreck]

shoot it.

[Gofishleech]

I have to wonder about some of these posts. If you see a deer badly wounded and suffering you shoot it!! weather you tag it or not SHOOT THE POOR THING. Would you actualy let it go and die a very hard death or be eaten while still alive. Tag or no tag,,,,,,,,you finish off a suffering deer!!

[maros91]

This is the first one I have seen while hunting. I just couldn't take it anymore watching that deer gimp around. I'm am glad all you guys agree. Thanks for the replies. I did get her cut up and in the freezer. She will taste tasty soon!! I did look at her front foot after I shot and there was no bullet wound that I could tell. She must have broken it somehow.

[Steve Foss]

Biff, I would have done what you did.

[Muthagoose]

Hats off to ya...

Wish there were more like ya out there........

[Grant Pearson]

You did the right thing. I've had this same thing happen to me three times. Twice has been during the season and the third was in February during the last "bad" winter we had. I called the CO while watching her. He gave brought over a tag and to take a look at her. It turned out that she had a broad head partway through her shoulder. When I butchered her, she had lost about 95% of all her fat reserves, so she was going hungry and wouldn't had made it another month, 6 weeks at most. Glad to see there's others out there as well biff. Good job.

[jumboperch]

I would have done the very same thing, good job.

[maros91]

Thanks fellas, appreciate the comments!!

[chucker34]

Great work. Would have done the same thing. Perhaps the real question is, would you have done so without a doe tag? I would and then immediately call the CO as others noted or suggested. I guess I would find it hard to believe you would get anything more than a warning for dispatching an animal that was truly suffering with little to no hope of recovery. Especially if you called the CO and explained.

[harvey lee]

I would put it out of its misery at once no matter what tag I have. I know a few people that are always willing to take a deer and put it on their tag. If I shot it and no one had a tag including myself, I would call the area CO and explain that I put it out of its misery and then let the chips fall where they may.

I dont believe that any CO would have one let a sick or wounded deer continue to suffer.

[maros91]

I guess if I didn't have a doe tag I would not have pulled the trigger for fear of what could happen. I was not hunting near the road so its not like I could have ran back to my truck and made a phone call to the CO and ask him if I could take it or not. If I would have taken a cripple before without a tag and explained to the CO and he said it was OK then I would have taken it. I guess I should contact the DNR and ask them if I see a cripple and I don't have the proper tag what should be done. I will call them today on that. From other peoples responses it sounds like they will let you do it and they will give you the proper tag for it.

[Grant Pearson]

Quote:

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I guess if I didn't have a doe tag I would not have pulled the trigger for fear of what could happen. I was not hunting near the road so its not like I could have ran back to my truck and made a phone call to the CO and ask him if I could take it or not. If I would have taken a cripple before without a tag and explained to the CO and he said it was OK then I would have taken it. I guess I should contact the DNR and ask them if I see a cripple and I don't have the proper tag what should be done. I will call them today on that. From other peoples responses it sounds like they will let you do it and they will give you the proper tag for it.

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that's why we have the co's number. so we can call and check.

[JDM]

Biff,

I am with you on the tag issue. If you have to make a decision in the field and you don't have a tag, then what do you do? What if the CO doesn't believe you? I have never been in a negative situation with a CO because I follow the laws. I am not questioning that the right thing to do is to kill that deer, but if you can't do it legally and you can't just make that instant call to a CO, then is it really worth the fine, or some of the other things I read about like losing your weapon, truck, or hunting rights? It is not always as cut and dried as some on this thread have alluded. Let us know what the DNR says on this. I think it is sad that I actually have to take this position, when I know it is not the ethically correct thing to do. It seems that our world is becoming more and more this way.

Again - if it is legal, I shoot that deer everytime without hesitation.

[bigbucks]

Boom or whap depending if I'm gun or bow hunting & then tag it myself or try to find somebody who has one. If it's not any type of deer season & I'm armed I'd shoot it & call a CO.

If it's out of season & the deer's limping, but looks like it will survive, I wouldn't do anything except watch.

[Slow Jigger]

you made the right choice...

Without a tag I am not sure but not putting it down would have to be first on the list. Maybe call the DNR to clarify your options if you see it again? Hard to watch an animal suffer...

[chucker34]

My problem would be is that cell reception in many of the areas I hunt is spotty at best and what if you had a matter of a minute or two to decide? I'm not saying I would for certain. I'm just saying, would be hard to see a wounded or crippled animal suffer any longer. Especially if you did the right thing and called the CO afterward to explain. I'm sure they wouldn't condone you doing so but I wonder how hard they'd come down on you if you did something you thought was ethically right and were willing to accept the consequences by calling them.

[maros91]

Well I called the DNR today on the subject. I told her my story, I had a doe tag and I shot the cripple. My question is if I didn't have a doe tag and shot this animal would it be OK. Her response was,"No way"! I said so I would let this animal suffer and she said to call the local CO and he will take care of it. So I called the local CO only to get his voicemail and left him a message. We will see what happens.

[Big-Al]

I would not have expected any different answer from a clerk/secretary answering the phone and she was correct in giving you that answer. Plain and simple you would be breaking the law and she can't tell you to break the law. Even if you contacted a CO, I'll bet at least half of them tell you the same thing. If the CO personally knew you it might be different.

Having said all that, I would definitely put it down.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

If I didnt have a tag and was positive nobody could see me, and I mean positive, I would put it down and walk. Very personal decision though. No right or wrong answer in my opinion.

[tealitup]

Do you think an injured animal will last long in the wild? With yotes, wolves and mountain lions I dont think an injured/crippled deer will make it very long. Although, I do see the point in putting an animal down right away - no need for any animal to suffer.

(I would most likely put her down and call the CO to turn myself in)