Merciful kill or cheap shot?

[andrew_12gauge]

Well my late archery hunt ended this afternoon, but i just kinda have mixed feelings about it. I had a situation and i did what i felt was best to right it. a buddy of mime called me up yesterday and told me of several deer trapped in a large canal with very steep concrete banks. In years past we have known of several deer trapped in this canal and they usually end up suffering to the bitter end and starving to death, so since i still had an unused deer tag and space in the freezer i decided that i should go and harvest one of these deer, and at least try and right the situation to some end. so i headed down to the canal today and harvested a doe, she was very weak and probably wouldnt have lasted much longer anyway. I feel that it was the right thing to do and i was just wondering what the rest of you on this site would think of this situation. to me it was in no way a hunt but a shooting but i feel it gave the deer a merciful end rather than a long suffering but yet in a way i still feel like it was kinda cheap. I did manage to catch a fawn and a spike buck and get them out of the canal so of the 4 deer that i saw in there 3 managed to get out. was i justified in my actions or should i have let nature take its course? lets hear it.

[ICEMAN]

A great use for a tag. No different than dumping a lesser buck who you find injured. You have shown respect for the animals. You have limited suffering. I say; good job.

[Slenk]

Andrew you did Good
Slenk

[high country]

I think that by your discription you should pat yourself on the back from me, if you do not want to harvest the animals a call to the game dept. can prolly rescue them as well.

from my own exp, be DAMN careful when dealing with live deer that are not tranq'ed. they may seem docile, but they can kick more ass than mike tison on pcp if they want to.

[Antlershed]

Good to hear that you used your tag on the animal. I say you did good. 

[billythekidrock]

Shooting fish in a barrel? hmm..I have mixed feelings just reading your post.
The fact that you rescued the rest and put your tag on an animal that would surely have died (and may even taste like it) I think you did the right thing.

[DOUBLELUNG]

As you clearly pointed out, it certainly isn't hunting.  I think your motivations were good, though; and what you did is legal.  In the end, in most hunting situations, you are the one to decide the rightness of your action.  My opinion, I have no problem with the choice you made, and also have no problem that it left you with mixed feelings too.

Definitely a very gray area.

[MikeWalking]

The fact that it seems to bother you so much I think speaks well of you.

You did the right thing.

Once worked for a Veterinarian who pointed out a human quirk. We will Euthanize any creature suffering with no hope of recovery, except ourselves.

[Professor Chaos]

You would know better than the rest of us if it was the right thing, but from the description you gave, i am sure it was the moral thing to do, especially if you have found dead deer down there in the past. 
it doesnt make you feel good to shoot that deer, i have been in a similar situation, but it is the right thing to do.

[edmondshunter]

I had a instance once when I was hunting.  I found a dog caught up in a leg snare.  It seemed he had been there for 2 maybe three days.  With a festering wound on his leg.  He might have been ferrel, but maybe just neglected, so skinny you could see all ribs and hips.  I took my shot with my .22 lr  and put him out.  He wouldn't have made it another day, with the snow coming in and the temp. down in the mid 30's. 

I had mixed feelings about that as well.  But quality of life for that animal was bleek, sounds like the same for your doe. You did the right thing by dispatching that animal.

sometimes the best option isnt always the easiest.

[bigpaw]

I think I would have done the same thing. I have seen a lot of starving deer and elk in Wyoming and even though it is nature it's still sad to see them dying of starvation when so many hunters don't fill there tag.

[andrew_12gauge]

Highcountry,

  In response to your suggestion to call the fish and game department, many have in the past and the department doesnt seem to care about these deer. just another example of the departments ineptness. I guess it just isnt profitable for them to save a few deer from starving to death.

[coonhound]

We need more like you...it sure would have been a tough decision to loose that coveted tag.

Coon

[high country]

that strikes me as odd, I have seen them come and relocate deer that were trapped in a rock quarry. that might just be the difference in location

[Wea300mag]

Definitely a grey area, I personally think what you did was good but I can see how the purists would think different.

[wastickslinger]

Greast use of your tag. I know that many deer die out in those canals every year.

[wastickslinger]

And for the guys who think that the our Game Department will go rescue these deer you are wrong. They actually finish them off and take them to the food bank. I know and officer that does it every year.

[andrew_12gauge]

hey stickslinger that is the first i have heard of them doing anything about the deer in the canals but it sounds like they are being put to good use at least.

everybody should understand that i take no pride in this kill but i do take a little pride in the fact that i did what i feel is right to right the situation.

[runningboard]

I think you did the right thing, like most of the other posters said, good use of your tag.

They actually finish them off and take them to the food bank.

was told by a butcher friend that last week a F&G LEO followed a person to his shop that it turns out had an improperly tagged buck, wrong tag for season, and had him(butcher) hold it for him as evidence. after a few days the butcher called the officer and asked him what to do with it since they have left "evidence" way too long in the past and the officer told him to process it and give it to charity.