Doing the right thing

[Hunter25]

On Sunday I was hunting the public land on Long Island with my brother John when an unusual thing happened to me. I was sitting 20 feet up in my climber when I see a father and son walking through small game hunting with a dog. I was going to let them pass and hope that they would maybe scare some deer by my stand. Then the dog looked like he was on point and I was worried a bird was going to flush out and they were going to shoot in my direction not knowing I was even there. I whistled to them to let them know where I was. They came over and said that they had just stumbled upon a wounded buck that couldn’t get up. They said that they had called the check station letting them know the situation and they were told that they had to call someone else. They were frustrated as any hunter would be because they didn’t want to see the deer suffer any more than it already had. After they told me what had happened I knew what the right thing to do was, I climbed down and asked them to show me where the deer was. We went back to the area that they saw him last but we couldn’t find the exact location. They then let their dog back off the leash and he quickly located the deer. After they called the dog off I put an arrow right behind the deer’s shoulder to end its suffering. When I walked up to the deer I saw that it had been shot in the back making it unable to walk. I wonder if this deer was shot by a hunter who couldn’t find him because of the shot location and the lack of blood. Part of me thinks that a deer hit in this location would drop straight to the ground with a hit like that and I wonder if it was shot and left there by a hunter who just had poor morals. I guess I will never know the answer to this question. It’s not the way any hunter envisions filling one of his tags but it was the right thing to do. I took the deer to the butcher and I feel better that myself and another fellow hunter were able to make the best of a bad situation.

[apoallo]

well this might not have been the ideal way you wanted to fill your tag but it sounds like it was meant to be. Who knows how long that buck was there for in pain. and you were able to help it in the end. and you got a nice buck to eat as well. sometimes what you did in this situation can be more of a thrill then the hunt itself GoodJob!!!

[erussell]

Had a 4 point walk up under my stand last yr with a hand size hole in his neck and a arrow down through the neck into his shoulder. Looked like it had been there for weeks. I put him down with a double lung. He was so weak that after the shot he just fell over and died on the spot which suprised the heck out of me. After inspecting him I didnt even gut him I just tagged him and called the DEC and they came out and gave me a new tag.

Edited December 5, 2012 by erussell

[Doc]

No, the following pictures are not a botched gutting job. These are wounds that the deer had when I shot him. Clearly, those are not shotgun wounds. Fact is, I really don't know what had happened to him, but it looked like something had fed on him while he was still alive. But anyway, this also was a mercy killing.

[irish_redneck]

two years ago I had a four point come in to about 50 yards, he had a noticible festering wound about the size of a grapefruit on his right shoulder/backstrap, with a healed arrow wound on the left.

I took him, tagged him, and DEC gave me a replacement tag

[irish_redneck]

they also let me keep the antlers, and the carcass for coyote bait...

Edited December 5, 2012 by irish_redneck

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Very nicely done. That was the right thing to do. Enjoy the venison.

[Fletch]

Well done. I came up on one a couple years ago that had been shot through the back legs and was bedded by a creek. He could not get up but was plenty alive. I was happy to take him before the coyotes got on him while he was still alive. Took one in almost the same place a couple years before that that had been shot through the lower jaw. He jumped and ran but we luckily got him. He was already thinning out from not being able to eat.

Edited December 5, 2012 by Fletch

[First-light]

Good Job. May you shoot a huge one at LI gun season!!

[WNYBuckHunter]

Good job!

[mbucks27]

Nice job Bro!!! You def did the right thing and now we have some more great venison to enjoy

John

[ants]

Yeah good job..

[JimmyDaSavage]

Wow that is a heck of a state land story. You 100 percent did the right thing. Congrats!

[G-Man]

Good job! I am always amazed at the lack of ability some people have in tracking, if it doesn't fall where they shot at it its assumed they missed. especially with rifle... learn to track if you think you hit it you probably did, better go look again...

[Bballhunter11]

Similar thing happened to me this year. My brother and i were sitting in stand where we had seen the big buck the afternoon before and this 1 1/2 old 7 pt came walking out at 200 yards and kept acting weird. We watched him for about an hour before we could confirm he was wounded, so i then put one through his heart the next chance we got, have the whole thing on video to. He had been shot by a slug when he was running away by someone who wont be named (we found out who it was) and was missing quite alot of his hind quarter. DEC came and gave me replacement tag the same day. Good thing because the 140" came by at 830 the next morning

[IRL]

You are a true sportsmen. Cheers.

[arrow nocker]

strange.I spine hit a deer and it droped right there .It tried to crawl away but couldn't,the whole time looking at me.Maybe some one Hail Married the shot and didn't realize they hit it,or just couldn't find it after they hit it.Looks like it was in a big field right?Sometimes they will blaaat if they are paralized but the last one i shot that was paralized didn't do nothing but look at me trying to crawl away.

[erussell]

My brothers first deer was a button buck with an arrow that came straight down through the top between the shoulder blades and came out the brisket. I noticed the white fletching coming through the woods before I even saw the deer. Didnt have a clue what it was till we walked up on the deer after it was down.

[Five Seasons]

ouch. that sucks and i hope it wasn't intentional that it wasn't found

[132 eight pointer]

Thank you for being compassionate.Some would not want to get involved with a wounded animal.

[Single_shot]

You did what you felt was right. I had a situation a few years ago here in Pa during doe season.I shot a monster farm doe that would have yeilded a large amount of meat.She had a wound that was partly healed.Gutting her did'nt seem to show any signs of anything wrong,I tagged her and off to the skinning pole she went.While skinning her I got near the wounded area and the closer I got the stinkier it got.She was green and nasty.I called the PGC,which I live about 10min from the NE Regional office,and they told me to bring her out,they would inspect her and issue a new tag,which they did.I feel as I helped her end it without all the suffering.I did not get another doe that season,but that's ok.I have seen a few that had to suffer long before they died.You did good.

[wooly]

Good job man!

Glad you were there to end it quick as you did.

[josephmrtn]

good job man!!!