Ethics vs. legality

[Gringo31]

I'm not shooting.  They are tough...so are some choices.  I'd be stopping by a few camps and asking around if anyone had a cow tag and try to get the two of them to "meet up".

That being said, once when bird hunting the breaks of the snake river when I was at WSU, my dog got to barking in a deep brushy draw.  I walked up on the down wind side of it and could smell the rot.  There was a 2 pt with it's back side half eaten, half rotten and still alive.  We shot that buck point blank with a shotgun and moved on. 

I think the difference is lagging behing the herd and being down and out.  Many of us have harvested deer or elk that had prior injuries from bullets, muskets or broadheads from years past.  At the time I shot that 2pt, I was majoring in Wildlife Mgmt.  I did consider calling a warden but felt sorry for the deer waiting and for the warden to hike that far up that steep country to do what needed done.

I think how severe the penalties are keep us in check.  Does the "risk" outweight the "reward"? 

To put it another way....if at any point later, a LEO were to come and investigate, it damn sure better be very clear by the evidence that you were doing the "right thing" any that the animal in question had ZERO chance of survival.

[Biggerhammer]

Dead Elk tell no tales, enough said.

[csaaphill]

Hard one for sure I might then again I might not who knows until your there.
Killing game for another happens all the time weather we admit it or not so who knows.

[MountainWalk]

I don't know how to "quote", but it seems to me like Colville thinks like I do.

[Ripper]

It is a tough call but you have to let her limp away in my opinion. I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open. I watched him mill around me for about 10 minutes. I felt sorry for him cause I know he's going to suffer a slow death. I'm sure the yotes will end up taking him down when he gets weak enough. I thought about shooting him to put him out of his misery, but knew I had to let nature take it's course. It's survival of the fittest out there!

[bobcat]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

[pianoman9701]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

[h20hunter]

It may be a tough call for me in the situations mentioned.....

The buck with the jaw....If it was blown away and obvious I probably would take the shot, make sure it is dead, then never tell a single person. I wouldn't take any meat, horn, nothing. I would leave it to nature and simply view it as ending the misery of the animal.

[bobcat]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

Left it for the coyotes and ravens.

[PlateauNDN]

if it was within my areas I would've harvested it and went home why waste meat if it can be salvaged.  Why let the animal suffer if it can be put down legally and not wasted.  Just my opinion.

[pianoman9701]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

Left it for the coyotes and ravens.

Making an ethical decision to put down a suffering animal is a great one. Making the decision to leave the meat for the scavengers seems to me not an ethical one. I guess I'd have to think long and hard about not only killing the animal, but what to do in the aftermath.

[bobcat]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

Left it for the coyotes and ravens.

Making an ethical decision to put down a suffering animal is a great one. Making the decision to leave the meat for the scavengers seems to me not an ethical one. I guess I'd have to think long and hard about not only killing the animal, but what to do in the aftermath.

How is it not ethical? The scavengers would have eaten that deer eventually anyway. You just helped speed up the process. You have to remember, just because a human doesn't eat it, it doesn't mean it was wasted.

[Curly]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

Left it for the coyotes and ravens.

Making an ethical decision to put down a suffering animal is a great one. Making the decision to leave the meat for the scavengers seems to me not an ethical one. I guess I'd have to think long and hard about not only killing the animal, but what to do in the aftermath.

How is it not ethical? The scavengers would have eaten that deer eventually anyway. You just helped speed up the process. You have to remember, just because a human doesn't eat it, it doesn't mean it was wasted.

I agree.  It would be ethical to put it down.  Just have to do it and not get caught.  Easier not to get caught if you don't keep the meat...........(and ethical because you're putting it out of its misery).

[brokenvet]

To shoot or not to shoot?  I'll let you know when I cross that road.

[Mike450r]

I saw a 2 point buck this last weekend with a broken jaw, it was just hanging open.

That's a situation where I definitely would have put it out of its misery (unless there would have been witnesses.)

So how would you have handled the meat?

Left it for the coyotes and ravens.

Making an ethical decision to put down a suffering animal is a great one. Making the decision to leave the meat for the scavengers seems to me not an ethical one. I guess I'd have to think long and hard about not only killing the animal, but what to do in the aftermath.

When I put down an animal the carcass is not a concern to me.  If an animal is in such a way that putting it down is the humane option what does it matter where the meat goes, in particular a wild animal that would be scavenger food anyhow but only with a few more days of suffering if not put down.