Cutting a deers throat..

[Suilleabhain]

After slaughtering hogs as a kid, I wouldn't want to do it. That said, my deer was Halal this year. I pulled a neck shot two inches right and the slug cut his throat.

[Pygmy]

Hmmmm.. I guess I'm not a deep enough thinker to involve thoughts of mortality ( human or animal) in such a conversation...

I would never cut the throat of a deer that was still mobile, because the damn thing could easily INJURE me. Thrashing antlers and hooves ain't no JOKE and they can KILL you. I don't want an animal to suffer , but I am not about to risk serious injury to prevent it.

The one I did was comatose.. I wasn't woried about my safety...Seemed to make sense to cut the jugular and let the critter bleed out well and expire peacefully, which it did.

Living in the country with all kinds of pets, farm animals, and wildlife around, I have killed critters with clubs, guns ,rocks, my boots and my bare hands when it was necessary.

I never put a real emotional value on it, but always dispatched any critter that needed dispatching with the most efficient and humane method available to me at the time, as long as I was not putting myself in jeaopardy.

[New York Hillbilly]

pygmy.................................ditto!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

PYGMY...I agree. I was taught to dispatch at a distance. My father beat it into my head. I also have had several occasions to do required deeds on the farms I worked on. Quick and clean was the order of the day. I often get made fun of because of the amount of ammo I take into the field....one reason is mot to end up in a situation where I have to use my knife for anything but gutting

[steve863]

Well you go on teaching yourself about death while you're hunting or search for the meaning of life... maybe it will take a few more throat cuttings before you'll understand your own mortality... and I don't treasure deer meat.. I treasure my family... i eat deer meat because it taste good... I understand that it comes from one of Gods creatures.. I learned that in grade school... I also have experienced enough children dying of cancer, and the loss of loved ones to understand human mortality... I try to keep my hunting as a way of distancing myself from all those unpleasantries and just stick to enjoying my time in the woods while hunting... I don't force reverence of wildlife on myself by slitting an animals throat.. it happens all by itself just by the experiences I have in the woods and I can feel it whether I kill something or not... if you want to learn something about death .. go to your local children oncology ward.. I promise you won't need to kill a deer to learn what you need to know about the importance of life.

You do "treasure" your antlers though! LOL

Who the hell said that hunting is the ONLY time we should reflect on the meaning of life and death? Surely not me. If however, death doesn't cross your mind in the least when you do bring something down while hunting, then I do think something is not right.

[Meat Manager]

I have not and will not ever attempt this...

However, my salty grandfather will slit the throat quickly with a very sharp knife (as all of my grandfathers knives are at all times) during flint-lock in PA.

He insists he is less likely to lose a deer this way, rather than take the time to reload the flint-lock.

He will also use this method when picking up roadkill...another practice I typically avoid.

Edited December 1, 2011 by 7J Everyday

[WNYBuckHunter]

The one I did was comatose.. I wasn't woried about my safety...Seemed to make sense to cut the jugular and let the critter bleed out well and expire peacefully, which it did.

Living in the country with all kinds of pets, farm animals, and wildlife around, I have killed critters with clubs, guns ,rocks, my boots and my bare hands when it was necessary.

I never put a real emotional value on it, but always dispatched any critter that needed dispatching with the most efficient and humane method available to me at the time, as long as I was not putting myself in jeaopardy.

I agree as well. Dispatch the animal as quickly and cleanly as possible using the safest means you have.

[nyantler]

You do "treasure" your antlers though! LOL

Who the hell said that hunting is the ONLY time we should reflect on the meaning of life and death? Surely not me. If however, death doesn't cross your mind in the least when you do bring something down while hunting, then I do think something is not right.

I do not treasure antlers at all.. not sure where you get that from anything I ever posted.. and I never said death doesn't cross my mind while hunting.. I said I don't need to cut a deers throat to gain some better knowledge of death that I haven't already learned.. or to have reverence for any of God's creatures... you were the one that said that everyone should experience killing a deer by their own hand to gain a better understanding of the life they have just taken... I'm paraphrasing of course. I just don't think that is necessary..

Edited December 2, 2011 by nyantler

[nyantler]

Joe, that's your problem you think you have all the answers and everyone else is ill informed. What does the oncology ward have to do with this thread? You are reading too much into this topic if you want to talk oncology start another thread don't hijack this one to suite your self.

I only said there is nothing to be learned by cutting a deers throat which is th topic of the thread... othrs brought in the subject of reflecting on the death of the deer... and the oncology talk was referring to learning something about death and where I learned about death..and is relevant to what we were taking about... I am reading exactly what is being said and nothing more... you must have come in late when all the kiddies jumped into the pool...

[erussell]

How would cutting a deers throat make you reflect on life and death anymore than shooting it again? This post has taken a strange turn from questioning the neccesity of cutting a downed deer's throat to phylosophical questions about life and death. Quite strange. Anyhow this post has given me an Idea for an invention. The deer bayonet. I would make them to fit on any type of gun.Maybe held with some type of clamp since I dont think I could convince every major gun manufacturer to put a bayonet lug on there rifles. I would make it about a foot long to get adequit penetration. Deer gos down and is still alive just stick it a few times in the lungs and step back.Would keep you about 3 armslegths from the deer and safely away from it.

Edited December 2, 2011 by erussell

[steve863]

I do not treasure antlers at all.. not sure where you get that from anything I ever posted..

Hahahaha! You can remember the B&C scores of your bucks better than you can remember your children's birthweight's and measurements and then you say you don't treasure antlers? Hahaha, that's the joke of the month!

[bushnell]

I have done it and wont do it again. Its not that I felt bad but it seemed to take to long to expire. So now I walk to within 15 yards and put another round into the neck. By just shooting them in the neck they seem to expire more quickly.

[Doewhacker]

Hahahaha! You can remember the B&C scores of your bucks better than you can remember your children's birthweight's and measurements and then you say you don't treasure antlers? Hahaha, that's the joke of the month!

Aint this the truth, christ I have seen and heard how many bucks he has killed and what their scores are so much I can damned near remember all of them! Let me it clear up for you Antler because you seem you to not understanding the point, (probaly because you arent the one making it for once), SOME people might benefit from experiencing dispatching a deer with a knife. NOT all people will or should feel the need to experience it that way. I can see where there might be a disconnect for some guys, they shot a deer at a distance and its dead, but if the same guy has to dispatch a deer at close range he just might make a connection to the animal we all so covet. It doesn't matter if its done with a knife, broad sword or bazooka, being close to something dieing DOES change a guy perspective, even if you don't agree with it. Edited December 2, 2011 by Doewhacker

[Jennifer]

I agree as well. Dispatch the animal as quickly and cleanly as possible using the safest means you have.

Yep-- I agree-- I think we are actually all on the same page here. Sorry to get philosophical on you guys.

[nyantler]

Hahahaha! You can remember the B&C scores of your bucks better than you can remember your children's birthweight's and measurements and then you say you don't treasure antlers? Hahaha, that's the joke of the month!

I know I shoot 30-06 shells too but I don't treasure them... I just hang antler up to reflect on the life of the animal I just took the life from...

[erussell]

SOME people might benefit from experiencing dispatching a deer with a knife.

Who a serial killer wanna be?

From my experiance and from most of the slashers on here it seem's to take a long time for the deer to expire after having there throat cut. Which in my book is not benificial to the deer or to my experiance as a whole. A second killing shot should be administered as soon as said animal is deduced to still be living.If you are worried about wasteing meat then shoot them in the neck. If you can't get close enough then put one through the lungs.

Edited December 3, 2011 by erussell

[sg0331]

Wow... you guys are absolutely ridiculous! I saw this the other day when it was first posted and figured I would let it go, but now it's just crazy. What is the difference between shooting a deer @ 200yds with a gun, 30yds with a bow, or inches with a knife? Remember, some of you have to sit hours or go back the next day to wait for your deer to die, how in the world is that quick or humane? Cutting a throat, when done right ends the life in a minute. I have done it, and I will continue to do it. It is not a big deal... in reality it is killing. Isn't that what we are all trying to do while hunting, or do we want to pet the deer and sing songs with it. either way we all share the same goals - a dead deer and meat on the table. I don't like my meat running around the field or laying as yote bait. I will do what I must to dispatch a deer. Heck if I had to choke one out I might try that too, who knows. Damn guys we're just hunting deer, it's not combat.

[wooly]

SOME people might benefit from experiencing dispatching a deer with a knife.

Who a serial killer wanna be?

From my experiance and from most of the slashers on here it seem's to take a long time for the deer to expire after having there throat cut. Which in my book is not benificial to the deer or to my experiance as a whole. A second killing shot should be administered as soon as said animal is deduced to still be living.If you are worried about wasteing meat then shoot them in the neck. If you can't get close enough then put one through the lungs.

With all due respect towards everyone here and the deer we've "slashed". A lot of guys here have said things along the lines that they could never do it, or it's too dangerous and not worth risking injury. I certainly can't say what each and every one of your own limits are when it comes to what you're all capable of. What I will say, is many of you who haven't been in the situation may just not know yet how you'd react or what you're truely capable of.

It's almost like that burning building theory where a passer by doesn't think twice before running inside and rescuing those in need of help. It just happens as a natural knee jerk reaction.

I agree with you all, another bullet is the easy answer but in my opening post I asked to hear the circumstances leading up to the knife becoming your finishing tool. Sometimes like they say.., chit happens, and we're left to improvise with what we have on hand when it comes to making split second decisions.

Over time we've found ourselves sitting at the top of the food chain as THE apex predator by no mistake. A lot of that primitive instinct we all posess goes way back to times before we became the "soft" hunters we are today...IMO.

I think some of you may just be surprised at how you'd react when you don't have much time to think about it.

[bkln]

Wondering if any of you guys have ever had to do this.

Few questions for those who have.

1- What were the circumstances that led to this being your first/last resort?

2- How effective was it..how long before the deer expired?

3- How 'bout tecnique- any do's or donts?

4- What was the deers reaction?

5- How did you feel afterwards?

I'll post my experience later.

You almost got me going there for a while wooly :-)

Why is he asking these questions? DOs and DONTs? wait a minute do you need a manual?...LOL

I have to give it to you, you have stirred the deepest emotions out of everyone in here....

with all that was already said (on and off the topic) I gotta say personally I didn't do it and would only do it if my life depended on it (as in pinned by the deer to the tree) otherwise I always carry my handgun so that solves a lot of problems at hand....and yes I also have my Ka-bar with me at all times...other than that...this is a great post :-)

[bkln]

Wooly, Nice pics on your site BTW, especially the whitetails....:-)

[nyantler]

I think we all agree that there could be a time when throat cutting could be necessary... some of just don't think it is better than another bullet.

[KenAxe-7]

This is how I kill all my deer. I sneak up on 'em and jump on their backs. Been on a few wild rides but I like going back to my caveman roots....LMAO

I have done this a few times. One time was unbelievably quick. I sliced wide and hard, both arteries on the neck pumped blood like a garden hose. The deer was dead in seconds. My buddy and I just looked at each other and went WTF.

[Red]

Wow... you guys are absolutely ridiculous! I saw this the other day when it was first posted and figured I would let it go, but now it's just crazy. What is the difference between shooting a deer @ 200yds with a gun, 30yds with a bow, or inches with a knife? Remember, some of you have to sit hours or go back the next day to wait for your deer to die, how in the world is that quick or humane? Cutting a throat, when done right ends the life in a minute. I have done it, and I will continue to do it. It is not a big deal... in reality it is killing. Isn't that what we are all trying to do while hunting, or do we want to pet the deer and sing songs with it. either way we all share the same goals - a dead deer and meat on the table. I don't like my meat running around the field or laying as yote bait. I will do what I must to dispatch a deer. Heck if I had to choke one out I might try that too, who knows. Damn guys we're just hunting deer, it's not combat.

sg0331 this is the best respond to this post and i totally agree with you. i will do what ever it takes to put the animal down and if you cut a deers throat the right way they are done with in seconds. im also with you on the choking a deer out i know ill get heel from some of yous for this but you know what I DONT CARE i once tied my drag rope around a deer as if i was gonna drag it and i pulled really tight and you know what 20-30 seconds later the deer was done.

[wooffer]

You will cause the animal a slow and painful death unless the carotid or jugular arteries are cut while slitting the throat. The goal of slitting the throat is not to cut the wind pipe (although this happens), but rather to cut the arteries. If the arteries aren't cut then the animal simply breathes through the slit throat and not its mouth. All the while with blood still pumping to the head keeping it alive.

A single shot where the skull connects to the neck is the best bet.

[New York Hillbilly]

Oh for the love of Pete!!!!!!! I've about heard it all at this point! LOLOLOLOLOL! I watched more than one ass kicking fights between bucks in the fields on my farm, and am here to tell you if they can twist those swollen pure muscle necks and throw each other around like they due with such savage ferocity, I'm not hopping on board.

Name call if you want to. Call me soft, call me ridiculous, tell me I ain"t much of a man for not claiming to be able to choke one to death.......lol.....but like I said before...to each his own. If you are tough enough to be able to pull off such feats I applaud your efforts, abilities and machismo. For the record I would love to stand back and see somebody try to strangle a deer. That would be a hell of a show!

The reason we are the "apex" of the food chain as someone put it, is because we have thumbs...lol..............and the capacity to use our brain to think things through, to plan, to anticipate, and as a result to gauge risk versus benefit. I guess "deer wrestling' for me when you have a gun in your hand is like watching someone sit there and crack walnuts with their teeth when they have a nut cracker sitting right there in the bowl next to them.

Good hunting to you all,

NYH