Injured deer

[Rippinlip]

My wife and I are still putting in our time in stands/blinds and are still seeing deer.

But man I don't know whats happening around where we are hunting, we have a doe, quickly named "limpy", (not able to put any weight on left front leg) seen her the Monday after the 1st gun season opened around here and we have her on our list of deer we are trying to put down.

Now tonight my wife seen a real nice buck, not close enough to let an arrow fly that was unable to set any weight on its right front leg, she said it was basically hanging there.

Hopefully we can take these 2 deer or hopefully someone can.

Not sure they were hurt running, got wounded through hunting or hit by a car, caught in a trap?

Just hope we can harvest them.

[BuckSutherland]

Good luck. I found a dead spike buck in the Chippewa this year that we put a tag on. Just an utter shame if they go to waste.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Yes its unfortunate but I cant say much since I wounded one last week with my bow took him in the shoulder blade I have seen a few others that seem to be having issues

[LightningBG]

Hopefully you can get them. Thry are tough, thats for sure.

The one i took his year had this bugger in her. Looked to be a healed up. I'm guessing from years past.

Note: nevermind. Doesnt look like i can upload from the ipad. Will do it tomorrow. Anyways. About 6 inches of arrow sitting just under the spine. But she was walking fine and had a couple fawns with her.

[PropsterII]

You know what they say - the only thing faster than a deer on 4 legs, is a deer on 3

[archerystud]

They can do just fine on 3. This a buck I aptly named "Flat Tire" but another hunter took him later that season.

[Lunker]

Definitely a bummer to see. Considering the time of the year, I would have to guess hunt related injury. I had my first experience wounding a big game animal this year and though its been almost two months it still bothers me a lot. It was a huge 9 pointer, and we have pictures of him walking around without a limp 4 days later(broadhead was in front right shoulder, only about 2 inches of penetration). I hope someone got him during rifle season or he survives without infection.

[PropsterII]

That's the thing, they sometimes look pretty pathetic hobbling around slowly on 3 legs, but wait till they put it in overdrive

[Scoot]

It's definitely true that deer with three good legs can get up and go when they need to. However, it can't be a very fun existance trying to make it through a tough Winter with a bum or even missing wheel. It's tough enough for a perfectly healthy deer to make it through the weather, lack of food, coyotes and wolves, etc. let alone one that is in bad shape. Obviously, it's nature's way of taking out the weak, but it's typically a very cruel and sad way for them to go. I've burned many tags on deer that were in tough shape late in the season. It is always interesting to me the very large number of injured deer that I see after the gun season. While bowhunters get a bad rap for injuring deer (and sometimes deservedly so), I see many times more injured deer after the gun season. Obviously, there are many, many times more gun hunters than bowhunters so this makes sense. However, when most gun hunters aren't in the woods after the gun season, they miss out on seeing some of the things that those of us who stick it out until Jan see. Out of sight, out of mind I guess...

[slimngrizzly]

Take a leg, thats how you grow non-typicals!

Most 3-legged deer do just fine. Its a shame to see though! Much of the time they cause serious injurys or death to eachother. Nature can be cruel!

[96trigger]

I hit a little button buck with my truck this spring on the way to go turkey hunting. I was able to drag him off the road and then I was going to come back for him. On my way home, he was gone, I thought somebody had picked him up. Then I ended up getting a smaller buck on camera numerous times, one leg was all shriveled up, right where I hit him with the truck....I never did run him over with the tires and probably just knocked him goofy, he was still breathing when I pulled him off the road. I don't know if he made it through the deer season, but he seemed to be doing just fine this summer.

[archerystud]

I don't have a problem with people putting down a deer that's been hit. When I was about 14 my dad gut shot a doe with the bow and she only went 40 yards and fell over. We got up to her and she had been hit 3 times with slugs a couple weeks prior so I HIGHLY doubt she would have made the winter.

I do think the deer have a very good chance of surviving a leg hit with a bow as long no internal organ are hit. I've skinned many deer in the past few years that had prior injuries but looked no worse for wear. One adult do that a buddy shot had a chunk of carbon arrow in her neck and a broad head under her spine when we skinned her out. Both wounds were at least from the previous season as she had no outside scars on either hit.

Personally I would now be more likely to let a deer walk IF I can tell that it has only been a leg hit. It was fun watching "flat tire" hop around that season. I would always know it was him from a long ways away. The other interesting thing on him is that he was probably at least 2.5 years old as he had some decent mass in his antlers despite being hit the previous year. I was really hoping he'd make it through as I was really interested to see what he would have looked like the next year.

[LightningBG]

Here is the portion of arrow that I found in my deer this year. She was walking fine, looked to be in perfect condition from 100yds.

[LightningBG]

I hit a little button buck with my truck this spring on the way to go turkey hunting. I was able to drag him off the road and then I was going to come back for him. On my way home, he was gone, I thought somebody had picked him up. Then I ended up getting a smaller buck on camera numerous times, one leg was all shriveled up, right where I hit him with the truck....I never did run him over with the tires and probably just knocked him goofy, he was still breathing when I pulled him off the road. I don't know if he made it through the deer season, but he seemed to be doing just fine this summer.

Speaking off hitting deer. What is the legality of and thoughts on the ethical choice for putting down a deer that has been hit? (Assuming you legally have a firearm with you, and lets say you're in a country setting where it is legal to shoot).

A couple years ago I saw a car hit a deer. They didn't even stop, which surprised me. Anyways, I pulled over and watched it for a minute. I didn't have a firearm with, but did have a large knife in the back of the truck. I thought about what I should do. Looked as if it had a broken spine based on how it was trashing around. Finally I got out and grabbed the knife. Once I was about 30 ft from it, it hopped up and ran away. I was pleased I didn't have to jump on its back.

[96trigger]

I don't know, I would think its illegal. However, I don't know if I would hesitate to do it given certain circumstance. Knife would be the best choice. That morning I thought about shooting it in the head with turkey load, but then thought better of it. Really depends on the situation. Wouldn't get out on I94 and do it.

[Musky Buck]

I would think maybe not but do wounded deer give off any bizarre scent(s) I would imagine it depends on the wound, but the wolves in my area of farm country should have little trouble dispatching any weak deer. Less non-typicals for us lol. Plenty of likely it's illegal, but common sense says it's morally legal if there is slim to no chance of survival for an injured deer, I can't watch animals suffer so I'd put it down after analyzing it's odds and likely consulting others and if I have that much time to process, and the deer is still there, the odds are this animal isn't surviving. Hopefully I'll never have to deal with it, but I won't walk away either, good luck hunting whoever is still putting on the camo or orange.

[blackdog1101]

I live in the west metro, not too far from a county highway. For 2 seasons we had a buck with a lame foreleg bed down in the rushes behind our house. I assume it was stuck by a vehicle on the county highway. Anyhow it seemed no worse for wear, put on weight, had a decent basket rack, etc., but it seemed so awkward with only one useful front leg.

[Rippinlip]

Well about 4'ish tonight she(ended up being a he) stepped out about 100 yards away with a another doe and after playing the waiting game and then peek a boo with this deer, it closed the distance to 25 yards, then busted me and then turned and bounded to 35 yards when I let the HeliM and the Rage do their work, I ended up watching him drop 40 yards later in the bean field.

Have not had a chance to look at the front shoulder yet to see the extent of the injury.

Oh well, my tag in the HC area is gone, but I feel taking out a injured one was worth it.

Horns were broke about an inch off the hair line, assuming car hit?

[K_Josh87]

it is illegal to shoot a car hit deer, unless an officer does it, or is present. We had this situation arise this summer... buck was hit, we came upon him stumbling through the corn, we stopped, and I had him headed off before he made it to the woods... i got on him, and held his head down while the GF called it in and asked if we could dispatch him, we had to wait for an officer. While waiting the buck got his hoof up on my back a couple times and i finally let him go, and he made it to the woods. When the officer came, we explained what was up, and they the deer had crashed and was at the bottom of the ravine. One leg basically torn off and the other broken. both on the same side. The officer did let me go into the woods to dispatch the buck, but said normally they wouldn't let someone. I was upset that being I really had no help, or means to get him out of the ravine that we had to leave him lay, but at least he was not suffering any longer... It is ILLEGAL to dispatch the animal without an officer, and i would be leary to do so as it would easily be accuse able as poaching. However, car hit deer, judgement call is yours. We had agreed we would have rather just put this buck down. But in order to legally do anything with it, an officer had to be present to give a tag and whatnot.. So, really no way around it and to be legal.

[Archerysniper]

Great deer rippin and late season to boot.

[Archerysniper]

Josh I just dispatch them with a knife never had a problem.

[K_Josh87]

it would be tough to argue that you ran the deer down and killed it with a knife, and then drug it back and ran it over with your truck wouldn't it...

I think a lot of it has to do with the officer you deal with to...

[Sheephead Slayer]

Good job Rippinlips! See ya soon.

[Rippinlip]

Hey Josh,

Read the opening article , I was just guessing about being hit.

My concern was having injured deer hobbling around our hunting area.

I am glad I was able to put him down.

Kevin,

Thanks and will see you sometime over the frozen period, not sure on the New Years thing, scheduling conflict.

[K_Josh87]

my response was to Lighningbgs post, I should have copied it to the reply sorry.