Ethics question

[Chef]

Ok, so I have a question for everyone. A few weeks ago a few friends of mine were hanging out on one of their back porches located near a major road, a doe stumbled into my friends back yard, she had obviously been hit by a car. Front leg all torn up and broken,she was not walking on it, a gash on her neck. And one side of her face was pretty smashed up and her jaw was broken. My friend went in his house got his bow and put her out of her misery. He then salvaged all the meat he could from her and put it in his freezer. One of out friends keeps saying what he did was wrong because it was out of sease

[Chef]

Season and he should have called the local police or conservation, any comments.... I am personally fully ok with what he did

[oblivitar]

I would have ran it over again. Jk jk I would have called dec. But I have no problem with what he did

Edited September 13, 2014 by oblivitar

[Ford]

"Ethics," is extremely personal, (if that makes sense) and I do not really think there is an answer to your question.  

 

I would never condone anyone breaking the law. There is a reason that they do not allow a mercy killing in such situations, unfortunately, it is because of the lowest common denominator in the population that would abuse such a thing.

 

 

[Chef]

Ford I agree that it is a personal question. However I do believe there is an answer to my question, because I asked for people's personal points of view not a definite right or wrong answer.

[Elmo]

I would have called DEC and convince them the option of letting me putting it down.

[Doc]

Yes, it is the DEC that has jurisdiction over those events. A phone call would have been the right thing to do. Even if you put it down, the DEC should be notified. It can be kind of embarrassing and perhaps even costly if the DEC is notified by someone else. Butchering the deer before the DEC is called is basically destroying the evidence that it was a justifiable mercy-killing.

 

Ethics-wise, it sounds like he did what needed to be done by someone. No problem there. But self protection from prosecution should be the primary concern at that point.

[First-light]

What Doc said….+

[biggamefish]

Also agree with Doc,  If you called dec they most likley would have come out and put it down and let you have the meat.  I have called before after a deer got hit and asked if I could take the deer.  I have had game wardens give me there name and take mine with address so I could get it home and butcher it with no tag.  Then give me one later etc.

  DEC doesn't like to see the animals go to waste either.

Edited September 13, 2014 by biggamefish

[GreeneHunter]

Agree with Doc !

[Geno C]

Doc said it right

[bubba]

Asking an ethics question is like asking what caliber is the best.  Everyone has their own opinions.  Personally, I would have made a call to DEC and followed their instructions.  Lots of times at least around here, they will take the deer and donate it to the food bank.  I know a guy who rolled up on a car deer accident and the deer way laying there in obvious pain. He put it out of its misery beside the road.and got tickets for doing so.  They was an attempt to take his pistol permit. Hours in court and lots of attorney fees, he was acquitted.  But it still cost him a lot.  The laws are in place for a reason.  Not to hang a guy like this, but for every guy who does the right thing, there are 4 who do not and try to pass it of on a story.  There were also a couple guys here who had 9 car deer accidents in about two months.  An old beat up reinforced bumper truck.  They were doing it intentionally.  They got a had full of tickets too.  Now If it were me, I would keep it quiet and go forth.  .  

[tommyc50]

personal he did what was right but what was the legal thing to do you dont want a ticket or worse for doing the right thing

[wooly]

Ok, so I have a question for everyone. A few weeks ago a few friends of mine were hanging out on one of their back porches located near a major road, a doe stumbled into my friends back yard, she had obviously been hit by a car. Front leg all torn up and broken,she was not walking on it, a gash on her neck. And one side of her face was pretty smashed up and her jaw was broken. My friend went in his house got his bow and put her out of her misery. He then salvaged all the meat he could from her and put it in his freezer. One of out friends keeps saying what he did was wrong because it was out of sease

 

Let's hope your buddy doesn't do anything stupid that would lead ECO's to discover un-tagged venison in his freezer.

Had the same thing happen here with a neighbor down the road years ago that lead to a loss of his hunting privileges and confiscation of his rifles due to deer being put down in a no rifle zone.

Putting this out there in the first place may have been the first clue that tips DEC off to their first big pre-season case of the season.

The internet has become a valuable tool for law enforcement to nab poachers by their own admission or incriminating evidence posted by others.

 

To answer the question though, I probably would have put her down as well but she would have never found her way into my freezer.

[turkeyfeathers]

S S S

[fasteddie]

Not sure what I would have done . The DEC guys are spread pretty thin so do you let it suffer for a few more hours or put it out of it's misery ? I think I would 1st try calling the DEC and ask if I could put it down and then see if I could keep the meat .

[ants]

Not sure what I would have done . The DEC guys are spread pretty thin so do you let it suffer for a few more hours or put it out of it's misery ? I think I would 1st try calling the DEC and ask if I could put it down and then see if I could keep the meat .

Same here. It would be tough to watch the thing suffer until DEC could get there. I think I would call the local or State PD before I would call DEC. There are just too few of them.

[Jason118]

DEC doesn't always side with ethics. This deer progressed so bad with tumors, it became blind and unable to stand. It hung Around my parents to it was unable to leave. Mom called the DEC and they said let nature run it's course. Dad called back and said I'm gonna shoot it and I'm digging the hole with the tractor as we speak.

[letinmfly]

Unfortunately, human laws aren't always laws of humanity.

 

I would have put the deer out of its misery but I wouldn't have taken the meat.  Too many issues that can arise from what your friend did.

[philoshop]

We're all compelled to do what we think is the right thing at a particular moment. That needs to be tempered by the fact that others are not 'in that moment' and may have an entirely different sense of what is, or should be, 'right' given the circumstances.

What your friend did was technically illegal. That aside, I wouldn't necessarily say it was the wrong thing to do in that situation.

[landtracdeerhunter]

What happens is simple. Call the local PD.. They come down, shoot the animal 7 times before hitting a vital organ. Then call their friend to come get the deer. You stand there meatless, knowing the animal didn't suffer, and followed the law.

[Daveboone]

The animal could have wandered off to die suffering from the sounds of it. I would have chosen a firearm to ensure a perfect final and humane hit, but I wasn't there and it may have been all that was available...no problem from my shoes. Depending on the locale though, a call to the DEC or police may have been prudent and ensured legal possession of the carcass for processing. I know of at least 2 similar situations that the game officer okd the dispatching of the animal over the phone.

[Chef]

Firearm would not have worked. He lives in southern westchester.

[NFA-ADK]

I would have ran it over again. Jk jk I would have called dec. But I have no problem with what he did

LOL!!!  That was funny Oblivitar! 

 

Ethically he did the right thing, but next time call the DEC because he is now a "poacher" in the eyes of the law.  Until he finishes the meat...

PS: Get rid of the evidence quick! 

[covert]

Whatever I decided to do I wouldn't post it on the Interwebs.