# Injured Buck



## 77 240 SRV (Sep 14, 2007)

Last night while hunting I had a small 8pt come in. He was a 1 1/2 yr old,not realy a shooter this early in the season. The dillema I had was he was injured. Both back legs were realy messed up either hit by a car or some natural disability. I mean this buck had one of those handycap cards hanging on his horns. I chose to let nature take it's course. I was concerned that the damage would ruin the meat,not only that I did not want to waste a tag on a cripple. But I also thought he needed to be taken out just to end his suffering. Tough call how ever you look at it....


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

If he was walking around on his own, perhaps it's not as bad as it looked. I've seen a lot of deer that appeared to struggle walking, but when it came time to go, you'd never know they were hurt.


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## 77 240 SRV (Sep 14, 2007)

Magis, Yeah I know what you mean,but watching him he struggled with every step and I would bet that running would be allmost Impossible for him.


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## gainer888 (Sep 27, 2007)

Tough call. My brother-in-law had the same thing in southern Ohio last year during gun-week. He stumbled upon a small buck that was shot and could barely move. He contemplated and finally decided to put it out of it's misery using his buck tag. Unfortunately, after he decided he could not find the buck....it vanished into thin air. Once he decided to take it down, he tracked it for half an hour before giving up.


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

I had a similar deal a few years ago. I was hunting a BIG 12 pt I had seen 3 times but never had a shot at. I knew where he lived and had him dialed in pretty good, I knew what field he would be leaving at what time of morning he was in my eye good as gone on opening morn of gun. With a bow there was just no good area within 30 yds to set up or I would have already had him, at least in my eyes

Opening morning of gun season at about 8 am here comes a nice 10pt. He was about 100-120yds out and limping with every step. I wanted to wait on the 12 but I hated to see this buck suffer , I figured he was shot in the leg or hit by a car. I decided to take the shot and put 2 of three in his chest and the third missed because he fell over as I pulled the trigger. 

Everyone at camp was impressed with the 10 as it was the largest taken off that farm for a few years. I took him to my buddys butcher shop and skinned him out. We did some searching for the injury to see how bad it was. And could not find ant bullet holes or broken bones NOTHING! Kyle the butcher picked the rear lower leg out of the trash and found the crippling injury. It was a thorn stuck in its foot! Right between the hoove and just a little infected.

My mercy killing is hanging on my bedroom wall!! I know that 12 would have been mine but I did the right thing, Right??????



Scott


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## gainer888 (Sep 27, 2007)

Man, a thorn...that must have been tough to stomach. I would say good call...and you got a 10 pt out of it. If it was a spike or something, it would have been a really tough decision.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I too had this happen back during the 95 gun season. I hold off for a mature buck and eat tag soup if need be. It was Saturday of gun season and I was set up in a prime funnel in Muskingum County. An hour after daylight a small buck and 3 does came out of the cover - the poor little buck could hardy walk, could not get over the fence, and looked to be thin and in poor condition.

I am a self admitted "softy" when it comes to animals (diffrent attitude towrds humans) and I just couldn't stand watching him. I popped off a shot at 65 yards and he went right down. Upon inspection he had broken his right front leg in 2 places and his rear right leg was also broken! The rear leg had a piece of bone sticking out at the joint - a human would not have been able to stand, let alone walk. They are amazingly tough creatures!

We assumed he was struck by a car on his right side and had been gimping around for a couple months. He was a 1.5 yr. old 7 point with the smallest rack (small for a young deer) I have ever harvested. The meat was ok for the most part and I am glad I did him the favor.

My last pit-bull actually took a fancy to this rack and it became his favorite chew toy. He actually ate the entire thing, skull plate and all over the course of his life, so I don't even have the rack anymore.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Nice stories guys. It's good to reafirm that hunters are not savage, killing machines and actually have souls! If only PETA understood... PAPA Scott, that's a good story! Nice buck though.


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## jay74 (Mar 1, 2006)

I had a buck last year that looked like it was hit by a car. It too was limping in the woods. It had half of his rack broken off,and the other tines were broken. I took it and dont regret it. But its a tough call for sure. I think of it as, there will be other times for big daddy buck.


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## dcemsmedic2693 (May 20, 2005)

I had a similar situation a few years ago in WV. There during gun season it is buck only and I had two does come in to about 50 yards. The smaller of the two was thin and ill looking. I did not take the shot because it would be my luck to shoot the deer and have the game warden around the corner there to catch me but I had the crosshairs on her for at least 30 minutes. It is a tough call and whatever your choice I agree with it.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

I have never seen anything too extreme. Over the past 3 years, I have seen the same Doe limping around our property. The first year I saw her, I decided to let her walk. I saw her again this year on the first day of bowseason. I also saw a button buck limping around last weekend. Neither of them had been shot, I had a good look at them as they came infront of my treestand. My theory with these two deer is that they can still get around on 3 legs just about as good as a deer with 4.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I once saw a doe with one front leg missing above the knee jump from the road to the top of a steep embankment that had to be 7-8 feet higher than the road with no problem. Those things have strong wills!


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

I shot a doe last fall that had an old slug wound. This doe had busted me more times than all other deer combined in my life. Finally one cold morning hunting out of a differant tree she made the misteake of stepping into the KILL ZONE! When I went to tag her she had a hole in the side of her top jaw that became her new nose it was full of snot and soy beans and was the grossest thing to see and smell. I guess since her sense of smell was gone her other senses were more sensitive like seeing my fat butt everytime I was in the woods. That was the only time I decided to keep the kids from seeing the deer before or while I butched it!

Scott


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