So I went to my go-to stand this evening and I thought it was going to be my first evening sit and not see any deer. But at the end of the evening, I heard movement in the thicket, and I knew where to watch for him to come out... the apple tree. Sure enough my second on stand buck siting had happened, a tall 4pnt, or something like that. I watched him as light faded through my binos, and I knew he wasnt something I wanted to shoot. But as I wached him as he came out into the field after grunting at him a couple of times for fun, I noticed he "jumped" every step. Then I noticed he would not let his left front leg touch the ground. It was too dark for me to shoot him. He favored it badly, It was dark-thirty and the Fiance was numbing my leg with her phone calls, So I answered it, spoke to her a couple seconds while watching him through my binos, my phone was like a beacon, He nailed me. I kept grunting hoping to seem natural. He returned to feeding and I tried to get down. He snorted but didnt go far, and returned to feeding. The only reason I could see this deer through the binos, was because of the moonlight and a neighboring outdoor light. I continued down and returned to my vehicle. I never heard him run but I dont thinkhe can run to be honest. So say your hunting here, would you try to take this buck out? I dont know if deer's broken(if indeed broke) can heal.?
personally yes i would. if for no other reason than to help an animal end its suffering. i hate to see an animal suffer regardless of whether i caused it, or something else totally unrelated to me. so yes i would try to take it.
Not if it was too dark, but if I was given another shot I would. But just because I have 2 buck tags.
Yes Will, Thats what I meant, IF I get another chance, I had him at 30 yards and there was no way I couldve taken a shot. I may never see him again, but I'll be there tommorrow morning and evening, Lord willing.
yea apparently i skimmed the it wass to dark part, but yea most definatly if you see him again take him. i shot at a spike last year with a broken leg.hit a small tree an missed but i wanted to take that deer. i work part time at a check station and have seen some weird things. last wkend i checked a buck that looked like he had his back leg caught in something (i think another bucks rack) but his rear leg was literally torn out of the socket at the knee.
If you get another chance, and there is indeed something wrong with him, I think the most ethical thing you can do is take him out. Good luck
