Ok heres another deer ?

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sthrnfryedyankee

New member
If you saw a sickly looking animal be it malnourished, obvious prior injury causing majot distress or any other obvious tell tale signs that something is definitly wrong would you take the animal then contact the game warden or contact them first and ask what to do?
 
No...I would note where I saw the animal and let the wardens know where to start looking. If it is still walking, the animal has a viable chance at recovering on it's own.
 
Creature + 1 : No...I would note where I saw the animal and let the wardens know where to start looking. If it is still walking, the animal has a viable chance at recovering on it's own.
Click to expand...

It might have CWD or some other desease that needs to be documented. Also, many animals can survive some pretty bad injuries and still live a fairly good life. If not, it will be taken in it's own time. ..


Be Safe!!
 
Option C. Put it down, load it up feed it to the dogs and forget to call the game cops. I did find such a deer. Out of season car hit drug himself 700 yards from the nearest road dieing of thirst and starvation for days. One of my dogs jumped it while hog hunting. The antlers actually fell off I guess due to dehydration as it was prior to deer season. Here is the poor devil...
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I really felt bad for this guy. I knew the land I hunted on very well as I had to run hog dogs and traps nearly every night and seeing how far he had drug himself with a badly broken rear leg and the ankle/hoof of the other hind leg was broken too. I had no gun so I dispatched him the same as I would a pig.
Brent
 
Sad and feel I would have done the same thing, if I were in your shoes. Obviously have to take it on a case by case basis. I know My DNR guy and he would not have questioned my actions in this case. I still would have contacted him but I don't walk in your moccasins. You did the ethical and honorable thing.




Be Safe !!!
 
Thanx Pahoo, In the area that this occurred there was no such thing as a warden allowed to think for him self and use discretionary justice:mad: Had I let them know of this mercy killing I would have faced charges I am sure.
Brent
 
Not necessarily Brent---but, in this case, you DID leave yourself open to a fine I think---that is if your state has the same or similar game laws as the two states I have worked in.
All anyone has to do in most states is call the "Warden" BEFORE moving the animal in question, tell him about the situation and that you would like to take the animal.
He then will give you the OK.
He MAY, not always, come out and check that everything is on the up and up and things are as you say or he may just say "take it" I got your info and if another officer stops you, he/she can call me.
You left yourself open for a fine by just taking the animal --again, if your states laws are similar to where I have worked.
If you would have got cited, well, you can only blame yourself.

My answer to OP would be to leave it in most cases.
If for example it was hit by a car and there were witnesses around and an animal was suffering at the side of the road and there was a damaged car there and I had a firearm, I would put it out of it's misery.
If I saw a wounded or hurt animal in the woods, I would leave it alone---if you kill it by firearm in a technically illegal fashion, you are liable.

Dipper
 
Dipper I will admit lack of knowledge in some of the finer points of law enforcement. I prefer to not make contact with L.E. as I just have the worst of luck. In this case it was a very low chance of being found out in transit. I took the pics to show my Nuisance Trapper partner on that place and to share how cruel momma nature can be.
Brent
 
I understand Brent, BUT, by not doing so, you can open yourself up to a fine---that's all I'm saying.
In PA for example, when I worked there, it was a fine for moving or taking a road kill without permission from a game officer.
You just have to ask if it is worth it or not---AND, not complain if you get caught not following the law when a simple phone call can clear you and give you the green light.

Dipper
 
In TX it is questionable.
There is one rule I do know of: if it is out of season, you cannot have the deer.
The most you can do is drag it to the side of the road and leave it.
Thanks for helping it along tho.
It would be the decision of the GW as to whether they want to call the assistance at the end, against the regs.
 
Where we live in Indiana. A quick call to the County Sheriff, and you will A-get permission to dispatch it. or B- get a Deputy on his way to dispatch it. Our Conservation Officers are so busy down here. I don't bother calling(unless I see poaching)

A couple years ago, found a little buck hit by a car. Rear legs broke, dogs attacking it. After I chased off the dogs, I called the land owner(not home)then called the Sheriff. They called me after trying to contact the land owner, told my to take care of it and they would try to contact the Land owner again.
 
Speaking only of leased-ranch hunting in Texas: We always just shot them and left them for the coyotes. One of those things about which we checked ahead of time with the rancher.
 
"Speaking only of leased-ranch hunting in Texas: We always just shot them and left them for the coyotes. One of those things about which we checked ahead of time with the rancher."

Again Art, I am not completely familiar with the game laws in Texas.
My understanding in the states I've lived in:
If a Rancher or outfitter or hunt club or whatever, buys game ( then they are considered like cattle) and hunts this game on private land, they can do as they wish.
IF, however, they are hunting wild, public, native game that WAS NOT purchased then any game law applies whether you are on public land or not.
I have never hunted leased land so maybe the laws are different in Texas concerning leased land.
In PA for example we had a few leases in our area and I know that they were still hunting wild public ( not purchased) game and all game laws applied no matter what the "rancher" or anyone else said---the "rancher" did not set game laws and had no authority to say who could do what.
Again, might be different in Texas.

Dipper
 
If I saw a deer that, for whatever reason, I could tell was suffering, and had little chance to survive, I would simply shoot the poor animal to put it out of its misery.
I would not involve the Game Warden.
It is not complicated, I don't want to see a creature suffer.

Possums and coons have to eat, same as buzzards.
 
I would probably put it down and keep my mouth shut about it. People have been fined for shooting deer hung up in a fence as "hunting out of season". Not taking that chance.
 
As I understand it (but have not researched it) California and some other states have specifically forbidden individuals from benefiting from their mercy kills to reduce what amounts to poaching or hunting out of season. (An old desert hand near where I used to hunt ducks was reputed to chase deer up dry washes and out onto rocks where the deer shattered its hooves. Said hand then filled the freezer with the "mercy kill." :barf:)
 
IMHO, there is morally right and legally right. Dispatching an animal that is obviously suffering is humane regardless of law. I'm reminded of the movie (The Great Waldo Pepper?) where Robert Redford had to shoot his friend so that he didn't have to endure burning to death.

I have no problem with the killing of hogdogs deer although I'd have reported it just in case some disease was just getting started. Only some rookie Wildlife Officer would push charges.
 
In my case I wasn't worried about disease as the deer was obviously injured not sick. I wanted to do right by the game gods and utilize the poor devil as he had suffered so much. Since I had several dogs I took the risk to haul it home and let them feed on it. I doubt I would have had the blessing of FWC to haul it home.
Brent
 
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