finishing off wounded deer

[Stumpkiller]

Never had to do it with a m/l, but generally I put one into the base of the skull where the neck attaches with a firearm if necessary.

I managed a second arrow into a deer that fell over and gave me the opportunity. Never did move. THAT was unusual.

 

[Matt85]

Never shot a deer.

I have shot coyotes. After I shoot them, I put a bullet into their head when I get about 10 feet away regardless if I think they are already dead. I just feel safer making sure that there is no final shot at revenge for the beast.

pretty sure its not legal to finish a deer with a knife in WA state any way.

-matt

 

[S.Kenton]

Legal or not..I'd never get that close to live deer with just a knife or a hawk..much less a buck. Those antlers can do ALOT of damage. I'd rather stay safe and waste a bullet.

 

[DUSTY 14]

muzzle loaders cannot use a modern weapon to dispatch a wounded animal in wa st. if you call a knife a modern weapon then don't try it. i think they were around before guns ehhh. carry my percussion pistol for the second shot if needed

 

[stone knife]

If it comes down to that reload. otherwise wait it out. Been there years ago with a knife not a pretty sight.

 

[roundball]

Fortunately the NC-WRC finally took a step forward and began allowing hunters to carry a .22cal pistol during bow & ML seasons to take care of a wounded deer if need be.
And just this month, NC-WRC passed the proposal to begin allowing ML pistols for actual deer hunting starting 2013.

 

[Black Hand]

Knife.

 

[BrownBear]

Definitely a situation fraught with danger sometimes, but also tangled with variables. If the head is down, I come in from behind and cut the throat. If the head is up, I whack them with my arm of choice at the junction of the head and neck. But that's a pretty simple description of the two extremes and not all the other possibilities between them. I've slaughtered a whole bunch of livestock in my dusty years, and even in controlled conditions in a chute things can go haywire, much less an animal downed by a car at the side of the road or downed by coyotes in a field.

Watched a buddy walk up and straddle a "dead" deer to gut it. Deer wasn't dead, and he ended up in surgery to repair the damage to his huevos when it kicked. Stupid stunt, and for good reasons we now call him One Ball. :shocked2: Following the example of an African guide buddy, I always touch the eye of "dead" game with my rifle muzzle to test.

 

[roundball]

Yes, folks have to size up the situation and know what they're doing, know what they're capable of...ie: don't approach from the hoof side, put all your weight on an antler, etc. And I agree that anyone who's not at that point shouldn't try anything other than shooting the animal again from a safe distance.

But I also believe it's a safe bet the settlers didn't waste a second charge of powder & ball on a deer...used a knife.

 

[Dave K]

I can afford the 2nd shot, so that is what I do. Sure many have done it safely with a knife, but my luck would have the deer finishing me off. Come to think of it, I never needed a 2nd shot, but I have certainly thought about it and that is what I would do.

 

[Rev_William]

Never shot a deer.

I have shot coyotes. After I shoot them, I put a bullet into their head when I get about 10 feet away regardless if I think they are already dead. I just feel safer making sure that there is no final shot at revenge for the beast.

pretty sure its not legal to finish a deer with a knife in WA state any way.

-matt

It's legal unless they changed the law in the last 4 yrs

 

[robtattoo]

Second shot for me. It's only another ball.

If it's a buck I'd like to mount I'll put another through the heart lungs from as close as I can get. If it's a meat deer, back of the skull works.

 

[crockett]

I sort of agree, a buck with antlers that is still alive, trying to cut it could get you hurt. I usually aim at the junction of the skull/neck, in the back of the deer. If it is a trophy I want mounted, I just wait or if it is going to run- another lung shot but I like to minimize lung shots as you are then getting blood shot meat in the best part of the critter.
Yotes and head shots- that's sure a quick way to put them down and there's nothing wrong with that method but if you are going to sell the pelt then a head shot results in a lot of blood and the most delicate part of the job is skinning around the eyes, gums, etc and if you have a bloody mess on your hands- I find it troublesome. The heart on a yote is higher than on a deer. On a broadside shot about half way from top to bottom is about right.
I'd save the knife stuff for hog hunting, now that's some rare sport. :shocked2:

 

[Spikebuck]

Never had to do a second shot with muzzleloader, but once with a bow I hit a doe a little high and back. I left the deer for two hours then started slowly following the trail...and there was a fair blood trail but it had also started raining and making the blood watery which is not good for a color "blind" person, so worked it slowly taking another 45 minutes or so. About 200 yards away I found her bedded and very obviously knocking on heaven's gate as I went right up to her. Since it was now pitch black darkness, rather than shooting another arrow into her I cut her throat. Even in her extremely weakened condition she let out the most horrible bleat when that knife went in and then died. I'll never knife one again.

 

[stone knife]

Fortunately the NC-WRC finally took a step forward and began allowing hunters to carry a .22cal pistol during bow & ML seasons to take care of a wounded deer if need be.
And just this month, NC-WRC passed the proposal to begin allowing ML pistols for actual deer hunting starting 2013.

New York would never make a common sense law like that.

 

[Shine]

I finished off a cow moose with an axe once. It was hit by a car. The car was totaled the moose broke its back legs.

 

[roundball]

Fortunately the NC-WRC finally took a step forward and began allowing hunters to carry a .22cal pistol during bow & ML seasons to take care of a wounded deer if need be.
And just this month, NC-WRC passed the proposal to begin allowing ML pistols for actual deer hunting starting 2013.

New York would never make a common sense law like that.

It's been the typical law enforcement mentality of guilty until proven innocent...assuming if you let a bow or muzzleloader hunter carry a handgun during those seasons, then they'll just use the handgun instead.
:shake:

 

[BrownBear]

Fortunately the NC-WRC finally took a step forward and began allowing hunters to carry a .22cal pistol during bow & ML seasons to take care of a wounded deer if need be.
And just this month, NC-WRC passed the proposal to begin allowing ML pistols for actual deer hunting starting 2013.

New York would never make a common sense law like that.

It's been the typical law enforcement mentality of guilty until proven innocent...assuming if you let a bow or muzzleloader hunter carry a handgun during those seasons, then they'll just use the handgun instead.
:shake:

Long ago, as in early 60's there was an account of a famous archer whanging a deer with a 357 revolver, then pushing an arrow through the hole and claiming it was an archery kill. "Cept there were witnesses he didn't see.

Not long after that I saw no end of states start prohibiting firearms on archery hunts. Might be the same roots all these many years later.

 

[Richard J.]

Went out on a Rescue once for a guy that had his entire hand cut with his knife. Seems he went to gut a doe and didnt check to see if it was dead. When it kicked him the knife turned around into his hand, cutting him to the bones. About a year later he looked me up to thank me. Said he had two fingers with no feeling and partial feeling in the rest of the hand. So make sure they are dead when you gut them. If you are cutting there throat pin them down on there side so they cant get up. By the way, in a lot of the states all accidents have to be reported. This guy lost his hunting lic. for one year over this.

 

[roundball]

This guy lost his hunting lic. for one year over this.

Why ??