I did last year on a spike. Mangled left side and his left antler was broken at the pedicle...I didn't think twice.
itd be an on spot call for me depending on just how mangled up he was. It's pretty remarkable what they're able to survive.
I would have to see it in person...but we had a buck that could use his one hind leg for nothing more than a peg leg and he lived over 5 years with his injury....hobbled/ran does with the best of em still too, kinda amazing.
I stand corrected. Just received my single either sex archery permit in the mail. On the backside, under the license section ot states the following: "Permits will not be reissued in circumstances involving deer that are found to be diseased or infected from old injuries to the point that the meat is inedible. Legal disposal of unfit deer taken shall be the responsibility of the hunter."
Seen plenty of stories about deer that have survived with a messed up leg. Severe enough, I would use my tag on it.
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Pages/default.aspx Just seen this today. Says you can get permission from a conservation officer if found wounded or dead as long it was not from a car accident. They even give you a special tag for it.
That's interesting. What I do not like about that is that it doesn't give you instructions on how to proceed with "injured" deer. It is moreso for dead deer happened upon that one wishes to keep, either for meat, antlers, hide etc... I don't think I would use that as a go ahead to shoot. I've hear it is even illegal for a person to kill a deer after being hit by a car, even if it is a mercy killing to end its suffering. Seasonnis just under a week away here. My advice would be to contact the DNR now, ask them what the legal means of putting the deer down are and cover all bases. Shooting and tagging it obviously is a no brainer in a legal sense, but since we have strayed to not burning a tag I think that is the route I would go if you think you might encounter a known lame deer during season.
Yes I would and have put them down. Shot this one a few years ago knowing that I could get my tag replaced if the meat was bad ........ the meat was just fine and I will never regret the decision I made.
Ethics and mercy are touchy and personal issues. Ethics to me means a clean kill done legally in fair chase circumstances. Spotlight poaching being the worst on my scale. Mercy...I'm not sure has much of a place in regards to hunting. What we perceive as mercy...might not be seen that way by the deer that's struggling and fighting for it's life or for the predator that (for as much as we hate them most of the time) may not survive without that meal and starve to death. While many of these things tug at our heart strings (and rightfully so) it's also healthy to realize we're part of "the system" and things have a way of working themselves out and serving a purpose. In regards to mercy, our entire point of being there and seeing these things is to launch a stick with a sharp multi-bladed head through an animals flesh in order to kill it (hopefully to eat)...I'm not sure where we're supposed to draw a line to distinguish a concept of mercy from being a predator. I've had a buck for the last two years that has a front leg that's got a fused knee joint. I have not seen him this year but he comes and goes. He's healthy otherwise and had a really heavy rack wit ha drop tine last year. I could have shot him once but I'm sure he appreciated what extra time he got when I passed on him last year. (and I didn't kill a buck last year)
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Thats why in my initial response I put I had heard stories of this and would first contact DNR so they can get all the details/ facts straightened out before just pulling the trigger. This just confirms there is instances they give you tags for injured deer. By what means is acceptable in their eyes is a different matter for sure. They might even see it and say it was probably hit by a car and no you cannot take it without using 1 of your 2 buck tags.
