Ethical Question Guys

[Sproguy]

Ok guys my wife's best friend comes over for brunch today and asks me to kill a wounded buck that is on her mom's land. This is what I know so far, the buck is in the 601 zone so rack size doesn't matter. It has a "heavy/bad" limp and the leg appears yellow/"greenish".

Her mom wants the buck to not have to suffer and it hurts her feelings when she sees it in the back yard. Sounds like she has 13 acres and the remains of a huge garden in her back yard and the buck visits the area almost daily. She called the DNR and they say that nature must take its course.

I know I have to get the buck on the ground or at least see it to make a final decision but there is a good chance if I kill it I won't do anything with the meat unless the wound is a lot smaller then it is described.

Like many of you I don't want an animal to suffer and it sounds like this deer is wounded badly but it also sounds like I might not be able to use the meat. I am one that says if the wound is small I will cut around it but if it is "greenish" that can't be good. So guys what is the ethics here?

Do I take this deer out so that it doesn't have to suffer or let nature take its course? Feel terrible for this woman who has to look at it everyday and feel sorry for the deer.

I do have my buck tag left so I can legally take this deer without issue. And look I might hunt her back yard and never see the buck but what do we think here?

[jeffreyd]

I think i would contact the CO directly and ask them their thoughts. Tell them you have a legal tag and are willing to put this animal out of suffering through a painful death either by a wound or by a wolf attack. I understand the nature thing but at some point human intervention much take over as if you hit a deer with a car and injure it but it is able to move around how is it any different than this issue. If the CO can see the animal to make a judgement that would be good. i think i would use my tag and try to get access next year from the owner for doing the good deed. just my 2 cents

[Jameson]

The buck I got last year had a bad hind quarter. It had been gored or arrowed in the hind quarter some time before I shot it. That rear quarter stunk BAD! It was green and slimey! I can only guess that gang green had set in. Ended up throwing out a hole hind quarter and half a back strap.

So, I say arrow it if you can. Use as much of the meat as you can. You won't know if it is 0% or 90% until you have it skinned and can take a good look. Also, hopefully you can find some place that is still taking the pelts.

[DonBo]

Yep, take him out. I'll do it if you don't want the resposibility.

[mrklean]

i agree with don, plus call the CO, there is a chance he might say just shoot it and put it out

[Scoot]

Yep, I agree with above- do the thing a favor. Part of being an ethical hunter is doing all you can to make sure the critters you chase don't suffer. This one's suffering, through no fault of your own, and you have a chance to do something about it.

[harvey lee]

Personally I would either call the Co or shoot it.

[GatorBait]

weird, I just read a story in Outdoor Life about this same subject. With responses from C/O's, most say to call a C/O simply because it's the legal thing to do, but most also agreed that taking an animal like this out is the ethical thing to do regardless if it's legal or not. It's a chance to take, but doing what is right is what matters. If I'm in that shape I hope someone takes me out w/o legality issues because I sure don't want to suffer.....

[Sproguy]

Thanks guys! I was going to try to kill him but my main concern was the possible wasting the meat issue. I guess if I get a chance I am going to try to end his suffering.

That being said if his meat is bad I'm not eating it but I will know that I still did the right thing.

[Stratosman]

Wasting the meat is a non issue.... that deer as described is gonna die in the woods.anyway, so is that wasting meat? Wasting in the sense of it's not going on your table, but something is going to benifit from it. Same if you shoot the deer and leave the bad meat behind..... deer is out of it's misery most importantly. I'd go try to put it down.

[BigJakeL]

Its only a bad decision if you don't kill this animal that is obviously suffering! I put one down after the big ice storm we had a tree had fallen on its back. It doesn't matter if you have a lot of bad meat! I only got ten pound of meat off of mine but I felt better putting it out of its misery than just simply walking away! I hope you made the right decision!

[bobbymalone]

I completely understand the idea of putting it out of it's misery and I've had to do it with a handful of car hit animals in my life. It's tough to see suffering in any form...

On the other hand though: If it wasn't you, or to take it stretch farther human activity, that injured the animal why do you have a "responsibility" to put it down? What does it have to do with fair chase or hunting ethics? Why is everyone so sure it is the "right" thing to do? Deer can get injured naturally, why shouldn't they die naturally? Wolves/coyotes rip apart weak or injured deer, deer starve, deer freeze, etc. It happens everyday and it isn't a problem as long as you don't see it. It's all part of the natural process.

The "caring" about the deer isn't too many steps away from say.. naming a bear.

Just something to think about...

In a world with no deer tags and game laws, I would drop that deer and leave it. Not sure what I would do in the real world. It would come down to whether I couldn't bear to see the suffering or if I wanted to fill the freezer - I wouldn't eat any meat off a deer with a green leg.

[ac777]

If you ant to use your tag up, and get a rack and possibly some meat, shoot it, if you want to hold out for a different buck, then do that, it's as simple as that, it's not your "responsibility" to take it out of its misery. It's not a pet, nor livestock.