What would you do if you saw an sick/injured deer?

[graygoat]

The right thing to do is to end the misery. Then let mother nature take its course with the critters. I have shot deer and two days later have had bucks walking over the blood trail and it not bother them. Its an ethical thing. Last Saturday my son now 35 saw a deer coming towards him with an arrow facing from front to back lodging in the rear ham and a cantaloupe size bump on it. We were hunting a very nice 10 pointer on a small 35 acre parcel when this happened. When we met after the hunt my son told me what happened and that he shot the deer to end the misery. After examining the deer a bow hunter had taken one of the worst angle shots ever and the deer was in pain ever since. I am very proud of my son for ending the agony of this deer and we are still hunting the ten pointer post rut and if no shots we will shed hunt him and return next year to hopefully be successful.

[BruceBruce1959]

Graygoat, if your son didn't tag the injured deer he shot, then what your son did was wrong and illegal. I do understand his reason for doing it but we cannot disregard the laws to do as we please. Hopefully if this ever happens again to you or anyone else in your hunting party, you'll encourage them to call a wildlife official and let them deal with it. Good luck

[Hunting Man]

we talked about this: I fully understand the ethical issue, however, with current laws as they are, your son could face serious fines as well as loosing his license for several years. Now I understand that something like 27 states recognize violations from each state and a violation in any one of them prevents you from purchasing a license in all of them. Just something to consider when issue like this present themselves. On private land I may have done the same thing, maybe??? Always a tough question and no simple answer. Just know your laws!

[tator]

If this same scenario were mine, I would be ready to tag the animal, but before doing so I would call my local game warden and tell him the deal. I would also tell him that I am ready and willing to tag the deer, but wanted to see if he wanted to look at it or if there was a way for him to collect it for any sampling they may be doing or to help feed the hungry. If he says no to both of those, I tag the deer. That's ethical.

[Win73]

Since I live in Alabama and we have a three and a half month long deer season with a limit of two a day, one of which can be a buck, I definitely would shoot it. After it was down then I would determine what to do with it.

We do have a three buck season limit, so the only way I would not shoot it is if it was a buck and I had already killed three bucks.

[Hellbilly]

BOOM finish it

[Hunting Man]

Ok, so lets say it's a doe and you do not have a doe tag, what do you do? I am torn by the injured animal and following the rule of law. I try to stay on the right side of the law in everything I do. My heart says put it down and my brain says let nature do it's work.

[BruceBruce1959]

I agree with you HM, we all know nature will take its course, I don't think any of us take joy seeing wounded animals struggle or suffer but I am always going to follow the laws of the land as I would hope every hunter would do as well.