Injured deer

[mcaustin]

I had this guy show up on a camera recently but hadn't paid too much attention to him until this photo of him on Friday morning.

He obviously doesn't look healthy and certainly wouldn't survive the winter. Since I was planning to hunt yesterday morning (Saturday), I decided that if I got a chance, I'd take this buck and get him tested. Yesterday, he hobbled in at about 8:20, stopped short of an open shot, and circled around in the woods. I stopped him broadside in a shooting lane and got an arrow into him at right around 40-42 yards. The impact of the arrow was loud! The buck had very little reaction aside from turning and walking away. The shot looked and felt good, but the lack of reaction had me a little concerned, so I gave him some time before I got down.

I found him no more than 40 yards from where I shot him. He simply walked away and went down from the double lung shot.

Once I got up close, the cause of his bad health was obvious. His right rear foot had half of its hoof broken off, was horribly swollen, and full of puss. I tagged and checked him in, then drug him out of the woods.

I was concerned about harvesting any meat from him due to the massive infection and his overall condition. In this close up of his foot, you can clearly see the green puss that oozing out of his foot. After speaking with a neighbor, we decided it wasn't worth the risk with the meat and called a game warden who was unfortunately not available. Instead, a deputy sheriff came and wrote me a salvage tag. I've heard from a couple of friends that I might be able to get my buck tag returned or reinstated by Fish and Game, so I'll probably give them a call tomorrow, but even if they say no, I'm fine with the outcome - this guy was clearly suffering and I believe his lack of reaction to the shot may have simply been due to the amount of pain he was already in. He had almost no muscle mass on his hind quarters. I'm glad to see that his health decline was due to an injury and not disease.

For anybody interested in the equipment details: Mathews Halon 6; 73# draw and 263 ft/s velocity (27" draw); ~500gr total arrow weight - Easton Axis; 100gr KuduPoint Contour+ with 25gr Iron Will Impact Collar. The shot was a complete pass through, and the arrow was laying in the direction of flight just passed the point of impact with the buck.

 

[Red Leg]

You did a good thing whether you get another tag or not.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Well done.

 

[uplander01]

The right way to handle it..

 

[Frostbite]

You done good.

 

[PARA45]

You took him out of his misery or eaten alive by a pack of coyotes.

Were you able to keep the antlers?

 

[JES Adventures]

An excellent example for proper management of wildlife

 

[mcaustin]

Were you able to keep the antlers?

I was able to keep them. I'm currently decreasing the skull after boiling it yesterday.

Thanks for the words everybody. I'm totally fine with my decision to take him, regardless of whether or not I get my tag replaced. There's plenty of season to shoot a doe or two, and get my daughter out to hunt for meat!

 

[Leadwood]

You did the right thing @mcaustin ....

 

[Philip Glass]

That was a terrible infection. Good job!

 

[Nyati]

Well done

 

[Betterinthebush]

Good work. I hate seeing an animal suffer.

 

[Muskox]

This is the point of hunting.

We are here for conservation. Everything else is just gravy. This is the European model, if you had gotten a hunting license in mainland Europe, the idea of not tagging a wounded animal wouldn't cross your mind.

I had a doe tag about 8 or 9 years ago in Wyoming. We came across a buck that had a busted shoulder where someone had wounded him.

My father was a retired federal agent, and in his late 70's. He had been a deputy sheriff, federal agent and police officer and had done quite a few wildlife related cases.

I said what do you think about going back to town and calling the game and fish to see how they feel about tagging this buck. His answer was that it wasn't our job.

I don't remember if we had cell phones or not, but I still think that is what we should have done. You are always your dad's kid, even if you are in your 40's at the time. So I left it alone.

2025, cell phone in my pocket. If this happens again, I know I will at least let them know where the buck was.

 

[meigsbucks]

You did the humane thing. Good job.

 

[Tgood1]

1. Absolutely the correct decision
2. You have inspired me to redecorate my taxidermy bench.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I was able to keep them. I'm currently decreasing the skull after boiling it yesterday.

View attachment 723989

Thanks for the words everybody. I'm totally fine with my decision to take him, regardless of whether or not I get my tag replaced. There's plenty of season to shoot a doe or two, and get my daughter out to hunt for meat!

I see you root for the right team.

 

[Troubleshooter]

You made the correct and proper decision

 

[Flbt]

I had this guy show up on a camera recently but hadn't paid too much attention to him until this photo of him on Friday morning.
View attachment 723931

He obviously doesn't look healthy and certainly wouldn't survive the winter. Since I was planning to hunt yesterday morning (Saturday), I decided that if I got a chance, I'd take this buck and get him tested. Yesterday, he hobbled in at about 8:20, stopped short of an open shot, and circled around in the woods. I stopped him broadside in a shooting lane and got an arrow into him at right around 40-42 yards. The impact of the arrow was loud! The buck had very little reaction aside from turning and walking away. The shot looked and felt good, but the lack of reaction had me a little concerned, so I gave him some time before I got down.

I found him no more than 40 yards from where I shot him. He simply walked away and went down from the double lung shot.

View attachment 723929

Once I got up close, the cause of his bad health was obvious. His right rear foot had half of its hoof broken off, was horribly swollen, and full of puss. I tagged and checked him in, then drug him out of the woods.

View attachment 723930

I was concerned about harvesting any meat from him due to the massive infection and his overall condition. In this close up of his foot, you can clearly see the green puss that oozing out of his foot. After speaking with a neighbor, we decided it wasn't worth the risk with the meat and called a game warden who was unfortunately not available. Instead, a deputy sheriff came and wrote me a salvage tag. I've heard from a couple of friends that I might be able to get my buck tag returned or reinstated by Fish and Game, so I'll probably give them a call tomorrow, but even if they say no, I'm fine with the outcome - this guy was clearly suffering and I believe his lack of reaction to the shot may have simply been due to the amount of pain he was already in. He had almost no muscle mass on his hind quarters. I'm glad to see that his health decline was due to an injury and not disease.

For anybody interested in the equipment details: Mathews Halon 6; 73# draw and 263 ft/s velocity (27" draw); ~500gr total arrow weight - Easton Axis; 100gr KuduPoint Contour+ with 25gr Iron Will Impact Collar. The shot was a complete pass through, and the arrow was laying in the direction of flight just passed the point of impact with the buck.

Good job.
And that’s a rack to be extremely proud of.

 

[Hunt anything]

Good for you and the buck! That poor thing was suffering horribly, good to end it quickly and humanely.
Years ago I shot a buck that had been shot about 6”s above his left rear foot. The wound was probably a couple of weeks old. He was a great buck and it broke my heart to see him suffer, like you I registered him and kept the antlers and didn’t salvage any meat as the infection had spread throughout his body. The waste of the meat was the worst part other than his suffering.

 

[Acopperdawg]

Surprised he hadn't dropped his antlers. I have seen them drop early in response to a severe trauma like that.