A sad experience

[PREDATE]

Hi folks, while bowhunting yesterday I walked up on a doe with a broken neck. Her tounge was hanging out and I don't think she can eat because she was pretty emaciated.I could have easily harvested her but I did not. My reasoning for not harvesting that beautiful animal,while it may sound selfish or greedy is due to the license fees. I (we) pay good $$ for a chance to bag some deer. I am a NYS resident hunter and I got declined this year on both of my DMP premits, but we all know that happens from time to time. I'm not a rich man nor am I just another trophy hunter. I consider any deer(buck or doe) a trophy. While it was disheartening to just walk away,I did find myself saying to her "just lay down". That's nature, it's just too bad that nature brought with it a vehicle capable of traveling much faster than Mrs.Whitetail. On a lighter note,I hope this evening's hunt goes well. Good Hunting!!!!

[nyslowhand]

You should have put the doe out of her misery!!!

Put your tag on her and call the DEC office.

Almost positive you would have gotten a replacement tag.

[bushnell]

I understand what you mean about the money but sometimes you just have to think without the money being an issue. I would have shot her just to put her out of her misery. Yes I understand that it would not be the hunt you were looking for but it would have been best to take her.

[gundeck]

Nyslowhand is correct.  There is a very good chance that you would get a replacement tag.  I will not tell you that you were wrong, but I would have harvested and tagged the deer.

[PREDATE]

I realize my shortcomings in this matter and guys I appreciate the input but I didn't want to bring any more pain and suffering to her no matter how shortlived it may have been by putting an arrow through her. Hmm nature,the survival of the fittest. Well the way I look at it is that maybe GOD has a plan for her. May she rest in peace.

[crappyice]

Predate...tough call. I cannot say that would have done anything different. I'd be pretty upset if DEC did not replace the tag but I dont know if I would trust them to do the right thing about replacing the tag.

[Geno C]

You should have put the doe out of her misery!!!

Put your tag on her and call the DEC office.

Almost positive you would have gotten a replacement tag.

+1

you should have burned your tag on her. DEC may have been able to do something for you. however you walk away with a deer in need of getting put out her misery??

you can not put a price tag on that and i do not agree with hunters who fail to do whats right....

[steve863]

OK, so lets say that this was during gun season where he didn't have a doe tag.  What does one do then?  Who here would be brave enough to admit that he would shoot her just to put her out of her misery without a valid tag??  To get a replacement tag one would have to gut her and drag her out and then go find a DEC officer.  I honestly don't think many guys are going to do that on animal they know is sick and they won't be eating.

[bubba]

the easier solution would hav ebeen to contact a dec officer and have him or her come and take care of it.  If you put an arrow in that deer and do not take it, it is illegal. 

[Geno C]

OK, so lets say that this was during gun season where he didn't have a doe tag.  What does one do then?  Who here would be brave enough to admit that he would shoot her just to put her out of her misery without a valid tag??  To get a replacement tag one would have to gut her and drag her out and then go find a DEC officer.  I honestly don't think many guys are going to do that on animal they know is sick and they won't be eating.

i hear what your saying steve, however this was not during gun season it was indeed bow and all hunters are issued an either or correct?

i think it does raise a good point tho, in which what case would be the legal during gun season and what one would do.

[PREDATE]

sorry if I post this twice but it didn't go through(I think).  But That is what I am, a hunter not God. In that case should I also be responsible for the repair cost to the vehicle that hit it?(if that is how she got injured)

[steve863]

OK, so lets say that this was during gun season where he didn't have a doe tag.  What does one do then?  Who here would be brave enough to admit that he would shoot her just to put her out of her misery without a valid tag??  To get a replacement tag one would have to gut her and drag her out and then go find a DEC officer.  I honestly don't think many guys are going to do that on animal they know is sick and they won't be eating.

i hear what your saying steve, however this was not during gun season it was indeed bow and all hunters are issued an either or correct?

i think it does raise a good point tho, in which what case would be the legal during gun season and what one would do.

I didn't draw a doe tag this year so I don't know if I would burn my either sex bow tag on an animal I won't be eating.  Yeah, maybe the DEC would give me a replacement tag, but go find a DEC officer when you need one?  There is NO guarantee that he will give you a replacement tag either.  I would  either do what Bubba suggested eventhough I doubt they would come out to dispatch an animal if it weren't close to a road, OR if I knew no one would see me I would put her out and just leave her in peace.  Yeah, it's illegal, but if what I did is really wrong, I could live with this illegal act!

[Geno C]

you said what i was thinking steve...

[First-light]

I'm with Steve on this.

[bubba]

some times nature is cruel.  And as bad as it sounds my dad used to say coyotes need to eat also.

[shenders]

Well it seems we all have differnet opinions on this but, he made his chocie and it has to be respected. On the other hand I might have contacted the DEC or local PD department and they do have the power to put an animal out of its misery. A  couple of guys on my job have in the past put animals down due to being struck by a car, train etc. I think that dec would have given you another tag if you advised them of the situation.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ill be the first to say I have put deer down that have been hit by cars. Many times actually and multiple times with police stopping traffic so I could do it. I feel that it is the right thing to do. The day I get a ticket for it is the day I stop doing it. I have also had cops ask if I wanted to take the deer because you do get a replacement.

If it were me I would have put it down rather than let it suffer.

[growalot]

I always get extra tags just for that ...but I have put buck down and driven to the DEC for replacement tags...they take the deer rack and all and you get the tag...This little guy I killed.... tagged and dragged to a dead fall...wouldn't touch it he smelled so bad....didn't bother with a replacement ...it was an extra....Can't leave them to suffer...I've called state troopers and they've given me tags.....

[Geno C]

Ill be the first to say I have put deer down that have been hit by cars. Many times actually and multiple times with police stopping traffic so I could do it. I feel that it is the right thing to do. The day I get a ticket for it is the day I stop doing it. I have also had cops ask if I wanted to take the deer because you do get a replacement.

If it were me I would have put it down rather than let it suffer.

well put... we are obligated to do so.

and he was faced with a decision and did not take it due to the possible consiquesnces. but i have spoke to guys who make a joke about letting deer go like that and refuse to the right thing. lets just say i no longer speak to hunters like that. they brag about killing the horns but will not do and i will say this, the "ethical" decision.

[bubba]

I am all for ending the duffereing of an animal.  I took my old lab to the vet today, and only one of us came home.  But you may want to look up the word ethical, because in the terms of hunting, it would be unethical to finish off that deer.  That being said, I can not fault any person for doing what they thought was the right thing.

[whitetailfreak]

i too would have put it down ,so it didnt suffer and just waste away it is possible there arent coyotes there to feed on her.but everyone should have their own opion like it or not and again people should not give them crap for it.how tells you what is the right thing to do when its not not only in hunting but life itself.do you guys always no what the right thing to do is .poor guy is just trying to shre his day right or wrong!but i think if it was the tag or the legality of it you should at least called the dec.

[HectorBuckBuster]

This is a tough judgement call. Well with the stupid game wardens in my area. I probley would have just shot her to put her out of her misery. The last time we shot a buck and it was all full of puss, all the game warden did was come out, gave us a new tag, and cut the horns off and took them and then said feed the Yotes with it. 

[ballbusta]

!

if I knew no one would see me I would put her out and just leave her in peace.  Yeah, it's illegal, but if what I did is really wrong, I could live with this illegal act

[/size]

[/size]I agree with Steve I don't think I could walk past an animal suffering like that even if I had to burn my tag I don't think I would regret it

[rjmlakota]

OK, so lets say that this was during gun season where he didn't have a doe tag.  What does one do then?  Who here would be brave enough to admit that he would shoot her just to put her out of her misery without a valid tag??  To get a replacement tag one would have to gut her and drag her out and then go find a DEC officer.  I honestly don't think many guys are going to do that on animal they know is sick and they won't be eating.

i hear what your saying steve, however this was not during gun season it was indeed bow and all hunters are issued an either or correct?

i think it does raise a good point tho, in which what case would be the legal during gun season and what one would do.

I didn't draw a doe tag this year so I don't know if I would burn my either sex bow tag on an animal I won't be eating.  Yeah, maybe the DEC would give me a replacement tag, but go find a DEC officer when you need one?  There is NO guarantee that he will give you a replacement tag either.  I would  either do what Bubba suggested eventhough I doubt they would come out to dispatch an animal if it weren't close to a road, OR if I knew no one would see me I would put her out and just leave her in peace.  Yeah, it's illegal, but if what I did is really wrong, I could live with this illegal act!

+1

I would have done what I believe was right and that is to not let her suffer anymore.  Plus to think of coyotes coming along and taking bites of her while she is still alive would be terrible.  But, like many of you have said, everyone has a decision and weather it be right or wrong you have to live with it and move forward.

RJ

[jimbodwb]

I agree with the original poster. He did what he thought was the right thing to do . He came across a difficult situation and made a decision. His decision was correct because there is no such thing as a wrong decision. Unless you can see the outcome of a situation from both sides of a decision then there is no way of knowing if the decision you made is incorrect. Therefore there is no such thing as a wrong decision. He chose not to take a wounded animal because there is no law that says he needs to. That animal was a victim of nature and nothing else. She would have continued to suffer if he never saw her and eventually die. There are plenty of animals that will feed on her even if there are no coyotes around. Once again that is nature and he just let nature take its course. Steve mentioned that if it were gun season and you had no DMP what would you do. It would be illegal to shoot the deer and leave it there.  So why just because you have an either/or tag in bow season should you. This is such a tough call but given the same situation I would have let her walk and let nature handle it just like Predate did. It is not our job to play God in this situation.