Last night a deer who has been hit by a car somehow got into my lower field - I’ve got several acres of fenced in land and this small yearling mule deer was found by wonder dog last evening. I went down and tended her and thought she may be a rehab, but after speaking to the rehabbers over the phone they do not take deer. the local vet will come up and euthanize her for $100 and the DOT won’t come onto our lawn, we have to drag her to the road.
Currently I do not see a broken leg but she has a large contusion on her flank and is bleeding from her mouth. The sun us coming up in Colorado and it will be 80 in about two hours. She is breathing very shallow and I truly want to end her suffering without a gun. Perhaps a gun is the best strategy…Though I don’t know if DOT will come up if she has a gun shot wound…
Any humane suggestions?
I was thinking a quick snare-noose…but that is not only graphic and frightening for the deer it verges on the profane.
Should I just use a gun?
I should preface this by saying I am not a hunter - I’m more of an a-la-carte Buddhist who wants to end the suffering of this deer.
A gun is probably the safest and most humane course of action.
You could conceivably slit her throat with a sharp knife, but if you haven’t done it before, you might miss the right spot, and getting that close means you’d be at risk from hoof and heavy head, should she have enough energy left to flail.
Here (in PA) the Game Commission sends a Game Warden for wounded wildlife. Local police will also sometimes do the duty in cases like it sounds you have going.
If you have access to a gun, then use it. Much more humane, will end its suffering quickly.
I once saw a suffering fox on a roadway (massive hit). Another motorist stopped and was trying to talk to her vet about coming to save it. That’s when the police arrived. He had us retreat behind our vehicles, took out his service piece, and put it out of its misery. Very quick.
If you don’t know where to shoot it if you do get the gun, aim for the base of the skull, at the top of the spine, aiming into the brain (if you can get that close).
If you can’t get into that position, any good solid shot into the brain will do. Don’t do a shot to the heart; he could keep living until that wound finally bleeds out.
Ok just called DOW and they won’t come onto my property to do anything with the animal. F*ckers…they are only concerned if it is up at the road. When I said I will drag her up there when she is dead they said…fine we’ll come get her then! A**holes!
My neighbor is coming over with his gun…his wife and my SO just spoke and he’s going to do the deed…
Sorry, forgot to mention in my prior message: The fox was beyond hope, which is why the other motorist’s vet wouldn’t come out.
It was creepy when I saw the poor thing. As I was driving by, I saw it and steered around it. But as I passed the presumedly dead body, it lifted its head up and looked at me! :eek: That’s when I stopped to try and tend to it. I managed to get it to scoot onto some cardboard by the side of the road without actually touching it, and when the woman came by and wanted to call the vet. After describing it to the doc, that’s when he said no, it wasn’t worth it. By that time, I’d called the police (in hopes of getting Animal Control). But they sent the officer who did the deed. All better in the long run.
Perhaps off-topic and a bit morbid but after reading the thread that second picture is pretty poignant, what with the yellow flowers near its head and everything. Thought I’d point that out.
My backyard is an alpine meadow, it’s covered with those flowers, and in a way I suppose you are right. It’s better than dying on a road or a being eaten alive.
Not sure if you’ve done it already, but if not, call the police or your state’s Fish and Game warden.
While I’m sure you can shoot the deer in the back of the head, I don’t want you running afoul of any poaching or firearm discharge regulations. I don’t know what they are in your area—though at first impulse, Boulder County gives me pause—but it would totally suck for you to get rung up for poaching.
Odd, I am also in Colorado. I had a moose in our yard wandering around, licking the salt off our cars. It appeared injured. DOW came toot suite. We watched the moose, and it was limping a little but was able to walk away.
