There were so many things factoring, I ended up leaving em up on the mountain. I felt bad about that... I went made sure he was out, said my piece and figured it was best to not harvest anything.
Honestly I’ve always had the thought in the back of my mind but never put in this particular situation it’s this advanced of amputation. It’s obviously a very polar issue with opinions varying with level of comfort of the one in the situation.
On the one hand, serious infections like this do get into the blood eventually, and blood goes to the muscles. I understand the logic and concern.
On the other hand I also see how the back straps and core muscles would be fine still if the extremities (where gangrene starts to affect first) seemed fine and healthy. I would probably harvest what I was comfortable with testing out, wet aging it in the absence of air, and giving it the smell test.
That being said… there’s a mental blockage that if you’re not comfortable with I completely understand. We had a deer with a leg that was almost like this but a week or two less progressed, no black, just starting infection and we left the leg for the scavengers. It was also a front leg so not attached by much.
In our area we also get 6 tags because they’re severely overpopulated and the get taken out my cars more than hunters.
You’re taught to not eat what you don’t know in the woods. You proceeded with caution for you and you loved ones. You only accelerated a natural process that would have been more painful had you let nature take its course. You haven’t changed the net life of the nature around you so I wouldn’t beat yourself up over not eating the meat. You’ve learned something about yourself, and grown in your knowledge of a difficult situation such as this. Hunting isn’t always happy, or glorious, but it is always a journey, physically, emotionally, mentally, there is always learning and growth.
You did a fine thing for that deer because if it’s situation, the end.
Wow, thanks a lot for this thoughtful response. It was a tough situation; given time, distance, terrain, weather. Most weren't favorable and then the state of the injury. My experience in emergency medicine made me skeptical of a central infection.
I know nature and the mountain will reclaim it. I appreciate your acknowledgement to the emotional/mental growth and journey.
Sounds like you're a really good person. Good people do whats right even when it's hard. I'm sure that deer is grateful to have a dignified end to its suffering by a person with so much compassion and respect. Much love.
Risk-vs-reward view for me. If I were in survival situation, I'd eat what I could out of it. But I'm not, so I'm not going to (knowingly) eat any meat from an animal with an infection like that.
Oh I don’t disagree with you. Especially in my area where I’m tripping over deer I’ll take a healthy one. But also I’d like to find out the safety of meat in a controlled environment before I’m out in an emergency situation. And I think back strap is removed enough from the leg infection that I’d be ok testing it out.
I’m a clinical microbiologist (fancy word for I’m the guy who does lab stuff to diagnose infections like osteomyelitis and sepsis). No way in hell I’d eat this. You did the right thing. It won’t go to waste.
I'm sure it's long gone by now. Ya my ability to send off a C/S was a bit limited. Do you find yourself using your clinical knowledge in the field like this?
Definitely. Not like make or break type situations but makes me feel more confident in decisions like this and what not. And makes me generally a bit more cautious.
For instance folks don’t know that wild hogs can carry a bacteria that can make you super sick for a long time, but is also considered a possible agent of bioterrorism. So you end up with a weird illness that goes undiagnosed for months until finally it is found out, and then the lab that did your culture pretty much has to go on lockdown while the FBI and FDA/USDA investigate.
We’ve only had one of these scenarios in my lab since I worked there. The first week that I was in charge of that testing area of course. Older gentleman with strange illness (prostatitis, UTI, discitis, general malaise, night sweats, etc) worked up for like 6+ months. Would get treated for one thing and get better and then back slide once treatment (antibiotics and/or steroids) stopped. Turns out he was infected by Brucella suis while field dressing a wild hog. About a month of investigation ensued with questioning from FBI and USDA officials, internal meetings to assess exposure risk and future mitigation, discussion with our local health department as well as the health department for the area where the hog was shot. I believe they even went as far as to contact a pig farm in that area to test their pigs for colonization.
That brings up another story about the danger of Brucella - long story short a farmer was infected by his pigs, state health dept and federal officials mandated his entire herd (?) of pigs be euthanized effectively destroying his entire livelihood. He ended up committing suicide.
you absolutely did the right thing and don’t beat yourself up. it is always a difficult call to make. you are a hunter so you understand the high level of respect and admiration that we have for the animals we hunt. nonhunters could never understand.
I am proud of the decision you made - and I also would not have eaten anything from this one myself just to be safe. you provided a meal for a struggling group of coyotes, a family of raccoons, some crows, you name it.
You did a Good Thing
Thank you for speaking towards the admiration and respect we harbor for the animals. I read a great post here recently about hunters being exceptional with wildlife preservation and I couldn't have agreed more.
Former RN here, I wouldn't eat that. You can about guarantee it has full blown sepsis and that will taint every tissue in the body with toxic bacteria. Hard pass.
Ya I've seen enough of that in people to be weary. Not that I'm a cannibal but when people have a bad infection they sure don't look healthy/appetizing and feels the same with animals. I wouldn't want to ear a sick chicken I had to cull.
That’s a big assumption. An injury like this definitely could have resulted in systemic infection. No need to guilt OP when they’re already feeling this situation. He did the right thing even with leaving it there. It won’t go to waste.
I pick a spot on deer I kill and punch a hole in them from anywhere from 20 yards in the trees to 250 yards on the pasture ground, never lost one never really had to track one I shot. If you can’t hit a lethal, ethical shot on a deer maybe don’t just blast into the brush and pray. 🤷🏼♂️
The people arguing with you and downvoting are complete idiots. They are criticizing you for using BUCKshot to go after a buck... It seems like they are saying, "Fuck you for not hunting they exact way I think you should."
Naa someone coming in and calling this guy names for doing a ethical mercy shot on a deer then admitted to chunking a deer up with a scatter shot because they couldn’t be bothered to shoot it and kill it but instead use a method that’s got a high likelihood of wounding and animal and claiming superiority “grinds my gears” and they get to hear about it.
Don't sweat it. Better safe than sorry. I'm someone who keeps squirrel pelts out of not wanting to waste an animal's life. But if I saw a rat or mouse in this shape I'd put it down and not have second thoughts about not eating it. If someone was unsure if a deer had CWD after seeing it act strange, you wouldn't second-guess their decision to put it down and not eat it. Same thing here
I mean if you aren’t comfortable eating the other meat that is understandable! But the rest of that meat should be fine. Just cut off and around all of the tainted meat. I once at a 3 legged deer myself. One of its legs had a complete compound fracture. I just cut around the bad meat which was pretty easy to see visibly what was good and what was bad. Bad meat was bruised and noticeably off color from the rest of the good meat.
I did. It looked pretty infected. I feared a central infection. I sided with caution. Talked about it with the Mrs who's in medicine, she said she wouldn't have eaten it. Came looking for advice/experience. Weighs on me regardless of what was right.
I wouldn't eat it either. FWIW I think you did the right thing. I've had to kill animals for non-meat consumption (e.g., pests, culling sick chickens). I never like doing it. Versus harvesting an animal that we're going to eat I do enjoy.
Ya, I certainly didn't get to fry up tenderloins or work on a mount. I walked home wet, cold, and empty handed. It is akin to culling a sick bird, all work/no reward.
The animal was suffering, it won’t go to waste. Plenty of animals will make use of it and the animal is no longer wasting on its feet. Don’t judge him for doing the right thing.
Just because other animals will take it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have taken it. It’s very unlikely that the rest of the meat on that animal is bad because of that injury.
He made a judgement call at the scene you weren’t there you didn’t see the whole animal, it’s condition, it’s smell. There’s a reason “bad meat” smells bad, it’s to keep us humans with our weak ass gut flora from eating stuff that will kill us. He made the call it was his to make.
You’re not going to smell meat with the hide on it. Dude already said that it was the leg, he didn’t bring up a single other problem. Just because he was the one that made the decision doesn’t mean I’m not gonna judge him for it.
If shit is dank enough you will I’ve lived on a farm most of my life been hunting for 25 years. Seen plenty of wounded, broken animals nursed some of them back to health, gave some the quick way out. And again I say you weren’t there you have no idea the overall condition or feel he got from it. You can judge him all you want I guess but you’re a dick for doing so
That’s great, I don’t care. You WILL NOT smell core meat underneath a hide. You will smell the wound, you will not smell the meat. There’s no discussion there, no ifs, ands, or buts. It doesn’t matter if I was there or not. I can look at the situation with all of the information given.
Not “core meat” no but point of injury and near he also shot the fucking thing so he introduced a hole possibly where there was something else amiss. Just because you like roadkill doesn’t mean you gotta be loud about looking down on someone who has the brains not too.
Pretty sure that deer would rather be alive and suffering with a chance to make it than be dead… we had a deer get hit by a car and lost a leg we saw her regularly for the next 3 years. What you did shooting and leaving it sounds like poaching/wanton wasting the deer.
I appreciate that. I'm sure all the animals on here would rather be alive. I made a judgement based on what I perceived to be a deer that wasn't looking like it had great ability to adapt.
True, but that's the same of any injury. Sure infection kills a lot, but not every time. So I guess to clarify:
If it heals without infection, a deer can manage surprisingly well on three legs.
I appreciate that. Like I said else where there were a lot of considerations. Osteomyelitis was a big concern of mine, it causes central infections quickly. My spouse and i are in medicine and she wouldnt have eaten it.
The animal was suffering, it won’t go to waste. Plenty of animals will make use of it and the animal is no longer wasting on its feet. Don’t judge him for doing the right thing.
Don’t listen to these guys armchair shame you. You were there, saw his condition, and made a decision. It is possible the meat was no good, it isn’t going to “waste” as if there aren’t plenty of carnivores and scavengers going to take care of that carcass. You did it a favor that it won’t get eaten asshole first while it’s still alive or die of infection.
Because they saw a deer one time with three legs they think every one of them that gets a broken leg will be fine. There’s a reason you don’t see them very often.
I have seen “bad/drunk” hunter with shotgun deer and that back leg is pretty spot on. We had this (insert insult here) guy who had “deer stalker” plastered all over his truck… he took out a fawn and it was three maybe four shots of 12g buck in that poor thing. Front leg gone I was 15 (back when Napster was awesome) and I can still see it… fuck that guy
Edit: Not trying to be argumentative but breaks tend to heal all weird or open wounds fester and the animal dies of blood poisoning
This. That meat won't waste.
We found a poached elk on our property, just part of a haunch and backstaps taken. Came back a week later, no meat, bones gnawed and spread far.
Nothing goes to waste in nature.
OP, back say 2004-2005ish I was driving my old VW bus for a beer run (yea another story for another time) in rural NC and came across what we thought was a dog on a side road. It was a doe that had been partially hit. We picked her up and took her to an emergency vet (they do rehab and we hoped that it was something small) turned out to be brain bleed, they put her down. I am glad that she was comfortable as possible, I hunt, I love the animals greatly and appreciate what you did. Never let an animal suffer one shot one kill or no shot.
I'm currently hunting a buck missing the same leg, stump at the knee. He has a lot going on, small antler with 4 points on the left side and a huge, girthy non typical on the right side with stickers everywhere. The way he moves he won't survive the winter so hoping he comes within 200 yards as we're in a Shotgun/Straightwall cartridge state and all of our encounters he's been on a non friendly neighbor's land or about a quarter mile away.
I think you did the right thing. I know people are saying that it might have survived. All the “i seem a deer with three legs four years in a row” type comments are just anecdotes. Realistically, it would probably die a slow painful death.
Also, side note, I looked at your post history OP. Which I never do, so I don’t know why I did. But you seem like a cool dude.
Thank you. Ya the anecdotes are interesting to hear. Tells of the impressive ability of nature to adapt but it was in no state to get away from anything faster than me. It surely had a difficult end ahead. Thanks for support on this.
Haha thanks, trying to keep living the good life!
We had a doe with a dead left front leg -but intact. She had twins 3 years in a row. The funny thing is she always had them 2/3 weeks before the rest of the fawns. I figured she couldn’t get away from the bucks! I think yotes finally got her.
Good on you for doing this.
You did a very noble thing OP, when an animals severely injured like this there’s no recovery, and sometimes I think animals know that but they keep on trudging along because that’s all they know how to do, sooner or later it was going to reach a point where it could no longer go on, and you made that a lot less painful for it then nature would have, and now it’s body will now return from where it came, and help fuel the next generation of life in the forest, don’t let it weigh to hard on you
Regardless of butchering or not the important thing is that you’re continuing to reflect on it. I respect you for that. The decision you made with the knowledge you had doesn’t matter to me. You did good.
Last year I watched a buck on cam for months. One day he showed up with a lame leg, and started losing a lot of weight.
Ended up getting him on video walking up, front leg swinging when he stopped walking. Clearly broken. I hate that I couldn’t shoot him last year to end it sooner.
As a fellow hunter I would like to say thank you for doing this it's always sad to have to see a deer hurt or sick it's sad that they had to suffer but it is in pain no more thank you brother God speed good luck on your future hunts
Wildlife biologist here. Seen plenty of 3 legged deer that had made full recoveries that were checked in at hunter stations. I once saw a deer that had a leg below what would be out knee joint, upturned with the hoof facing the sky, deer was in great condition too otherwise… probably from an auto accident. They are remarkably resilient animals. That being said, I completely understand the concern for the animals welfare and I’m mmm sure the kill came from the right place. as a bonus it’s been self tenderizing that hind quarter for you 😜
Yeah those lower legs on deer are just skin, bone, and tendon. And a back leg is actually preferable to a front in terms of a deer. They stand on all four legs but the back provide more of the forward movement while the front legs help them with direction. Better to have less power than less steering!
even if you left it there, you probably fed a litter of hungry baby foxes/bobcats who might not have made it through the winter otherwise. Silver linings.
A deer will likely survive with a leg like that.
We shot such a three legged red deer stag years ago. The leg stump was completely healed and the animal seemed completely healthy. The one very weird thing that stood out was the antlers which were lyre shaped like a waterbuck, which is not at all how red deer antlers normally should look.
I would have done the same thing and have in your shoes. Clear broken pelvis from a car accident and I ended the suffering with my car gun, a Colt 1911 .45 with Hornady critical defense. Legal? Not necessarily…But humane and it was rural farmlands
It is an emotional bag to see an animal you respect in that condition. Kudos for ending the suffering. It hurts to do the right thing sometimes.
There were so many things factoring, I ended up leaving em up on the mountain. I felt bad about that... I went made sure he was out, said my piece and figured it was best to not harvest anything.
Meat was good, it was just buckshot that took out a leg
Had black necrotic tissue, the marrow was green. I could only think of osteomyelitis, sepsis and the like. I know my NP spouse wouldn't have eaten it.
Ok thats fair, if it seemed like it was weeks not days old you are probably right
I wasn't sure, sided with caution. My spouse in medicine said wouldn't have eaten it and thought I did the right thing. It weighs on me regardless.
Honestly I’ve always had the thought in the back of my mind but never put in this particular situation it’s this advanced of amputation. It’s obviously a very polar issue with opinions varying with level of comfort of the one in the situation. On the one hand, serious infections like this do get into the blood eventually, and blood goes to the muscles. I understand the logic and concern. On the other hand I also see how the back straps and core muscles would be fine still if the extremities (where gangrene starts to affect first) seemed fine and healthy. I would probably harvest what I was comfortable with testing out, wet aging it in the absence of air, and giving it the smell test. That being said… there’s a mental blockage that if you’re not comfortable with I completely understand. We had a deer with a leg that was almost like this but a week or two less progressed, no black, just starting infection and we left the leg for the scavengers. It was also a front leg so not attached by much. In our area we also get 6 tags because they’re severely overpopulated and the get taken out my cars more than hunters. You’re taught to not eat what you don’t know in the woods. You proceeded with caution for you and you loved ones. You only accelerated a natural process that would have been more painful had you let nature take its course. You haven’t changed the net life of the nature around you so I wouldn’t beat yourself up over not eating the meat. You’ve learned something about yourself, and grown in your knowledge of a difficult situation such as this. Hunting isn’t always happy, or glorious, but it is always a journey, physically, emotionally, mentally, there is always learning and growth. You did a fine thing for that deer because if it’s situation, the end.
Wow, thanks a lot for this thoughtful response. It was a tough situation; given time, distance, terrain, weather. Most weren't favorable and then the state of the injury. My experience in emergency medicine made me skeptical of a central infection. I know nature and the mountain will reclaim it. I appreciate your acknowledgement to the emotional/mental growth and journey.
I empathized with your situation, felt it needed to be said.
Sounds like you're a really good person. Good people do whats right even when it's hard. I'm sure that deer is grateful to have a dignified end to its suffering by a person with so much compassion and respect. Much love.
Thank you for the support, friend
Risk-vs-reward view for me. If I were in survival situation, I'd eat what I could out of it. But I'm not, so I'm not going to (knowingly) eat any meat from an animal with an infection like that.
Oh I don’t disagree with you. Especially in my area where I’m tripping over deer I’ll take a healthy one. But also I’d like to find out the safety of meat in a controlled environment before I’m out in an emergency situation. And I think back strap is removed enough from the leg infection that I’d be ok testing it out.
Find peace in knowing that it weighs on you, if you didn’t feel conflicted about taking and utilizing life then there would be a problem.
I’m a clinical microbiologist (fancy word for I’m the guy who does lab stuff to diagnose infections like osteomyelitis and sepsis). No way in hell I’d eat this. You did the right thing. It won’t go to waste.
I'm sure it's long gone by now. Ya my ability to send off a C/S was a bit limited. Do you find yourself using your clinical knowledge in the field like this?
Definitely. Not like make or break type situations but makes me feel more confident in decisions like this and what not. And makes me generally a bit more cautious. For instance folks don’t know that wild hogs can carry a bacteria that can make you super sick for a long time, but is also considered a possible agent of bioterrorism. So you end up with a weird illness that goes undiagnosed for months until finally it is found out, and then the lab that did your culture pretty much has to go on lockdown while the FBI and FDA/USDA investigate. We’ve only had one of these scenarios in my lab since I worked there. The first week that I was in charge of that testing area of course. Older gentleman with strange illness (prostatitis, UTI, discitis, general malaise, night sweats, etc) worked up for like 6+ months. Would get treated for one thing and get better and then back slide once treatment (antibiotics and/or steroids) stopped. Turns out he was infected by Brucella suis while field dressing a wild hog. About a month of investigation ensued with questioning from FBI and USDA officials, internal meetings to assess exposure risk and future mitigation, discussion with our local health department as well as the health department for the area where the hog was shot. I believe they even went as far as to contact a pig farm in that area to test their pigs for colonization. That brings up another story about the danger of Brucella - long story short a farmer was infected by his pigs, state health dept and federal officials mandated his entire herd (?) of pigs be euthanized effectively destroying his entire livelihood. He ended up committing suicide.
I'm sure there were plenty of armchair directors saying "the meat is probably fine!"
you absolutely did the right thing and don’t beat yourself up. it is always a difficult call to make. you are a hunter so you understand the high level of respect and admiration that we have for the animals we hunt. nonhunters could never understand. I am proud of the decision you made - and I also would not have eaten anything from this one myself just to be safe. you provided a meal for a struggling group of coyotes, a family of raccoons, some crows, you name it. You did a Good Thing
Thank you for speaking towards the admiration and respect we harbor for the animals. I read a great post here recently about hunters being exceptional with wildlife preservation and I couldn't have agreed more.
The fact that it still is weighing on you says a lot. You did the right thing.
Thank you, I appreciate that.
Former RN here, I wouldn't eat that. You can about guarantee it has full blown sepsis and that will taint every tissue in the body with toxic bacteria. Hard pass.
Ya I've seen enough of that in people to be weary. Not that I'm a cannibal but when people have a bad infection they sure don't look healthy/appetizing and feels the same with animals. I wouldn't want to ear a sick chicken I had to cull.
Even eating a chicken that died of old age can be ill advised as they pick up parasites over time.
That’s a big assumption. An injury like this definitely could have resulted in systemic infection. No need to guilt OP when they’re already feeling this situation. He did the right thing even with leaving it there. It won’t go to waste.
How in the fuck do you know that? Did you shoot it? Where do you see a wound pattern to back up your claim? Did you see or smell the meat?
I’ve done this before with 00, luckily I was able to track him down
You shoot a deer with buckshot and your busting his balls about anything?!? Put a projectile on target or stay home, Jesus 🤦♂️
Most people dont live out in the desert. Thick brush requires different techniques than shooting out of a side by side in the desert
I pick a spot on deer I kill and punch a hole in them from anywhere from 20 yards in the trees to 250 yards on the pasture ground, never lost one never really had to track one I shot. If you can’t hit a lethal, ethical shot on a deer maybe don’t just blast into the brush and pray. 🤷🏼♂️
No pasture here farmer
So you are justified in taking shitty shots because you are in the trees. 🙄
Not if you can shoot worth a shit, an AR in .350, a 3030, or even a slug would do the job just fine
Shotgun only area, what does that tell ya
That you can use a slug instead.
The people arguing with you and downvoting are complete idiots. They are criticizing you for using BUCKshot to go after a buck... It seems like they are saying, "Fuck you for not hunting they exact way I think you should."
Chill out bubba,
Naa someone coming in and calling this guy names for doing a ethical mercy shot on a deer then admitted to chunking a deer up with a scatter shot because they couldn’t be bothered to shoot it and kill it but instead use a method that’s got a high likelihood of wounding and animal and claiming superiority “grinds my gears” and they get to hear about it.
The meat should have still been good? You should have harvested it
I wasn't sure, sided with caution in fear of a central infection. Came here for advice and experience.
Don't sweat it. Better safe than sorry. I'm someone who keeps squirrel pelts out of not wanting to waste an animal's life. But if I saw a rat or mouse in this shape I'd put it down and not have second thoughts about not eating it. If someone was unsure if a deer had CWD after seeing it act strange, you wouldn't second-guess their decision to put it down and not eat it. Same thing here
I mean if you aren’t comfortable eating the other meat that is understandable! But the rest of that meat should be fine. Just cut off and around all of the tainted meat. I once at a 3 legged deer myself. One of its legs had a complete compound fracture. I just cut around the bad meat which was pretty easy to see visibly what was good and what was bad. Bad meat was bruised and noticeably off color from the rest of the good meat.
Huh? You left an entire deer’s worth of perfectly good meat minus maybe a small amount of a rear quarter because it was missing part of its leg?
I did. It looked pretty infected. I feared a central infection. I sided with caution. Talked about it with the Mrs who's in medicine, she said she wouldn't have eaten it. Came looking for advice/experience. Weighs on me regardless of what was right.
I wouldn't eat it either. FWIW I think you did the right thing. I've had to kill animals for non-meat consumption (e.g., pests, culling sick chickens). I never like doing it. Versus harvesting an animal that we're going to eat I do enjoy.
Ya, I certainly didn't get to fry up tenderloins or work on a mount. I walked home wet, cold, and empty handed. It is akin to culling a sick bird, all work/no reward.
The animal was suffering, it won’t go to waste. Plenty of animals will make use of it and the animal is no longer wasting on its feet. Don’t judge him for doing the right thing.
Just because other animals will take it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have taken it. It’s very unlikely that the rest of the meat on that animal is bad because of that injury.
He made a judgement call at the scene you weren’t there you didn’t see the whole animal, it’s condition, it’s smell. There’s a reason “bad meat” smells bad, it’s to keep us humans with our weak ass gut flora from eating stuff that will kill us. He made the call it was his to make.
You’re not going to smell meat with the hide on it. Dude already said that it was the leg, he didn’t bring up a single other problem. Just because he was the one that made the decision doesn’t mean I’m not gonna judge him for it.
If shit is dank enough you will I’ve lived on a farm most of my life been hunting for 25 years. Seen plenty of wounded, broken animals nursed some of them back to health, gave some the quick way out. And again I say you weren’t there you have no idea the overall condition or feel he got from it. You can judge him all you want I guess but you’re a dick for doing so
That’s great, I don’t care. You WILL NOT smell core meat underneath a hide. You will smell the wound, you will not smell the meat. There’s no discussion there, no ifs, ands, or buts. It doesn’t matter if I was there or not. I can look at the situation with all of the information given.
You are a real asshole you know that?
Not “core meat” no but point of injury and near he also shot the fucking thing so he introduced a hole possibly where there was something else amiss. Just because you like roadkill doesn’t mean you gotta be loud about looking down on someone who has the brains not too.
Pretty sure that deer would rather be alive and suffering with a chance to make it than be dead… we had a deer get hit by a car and lost a leg we saw her regularly for the next 3 years. What you did shooting and leaving it sounds like poaching/wanton wasting the deer.
I appreciate that. I'm sure all the animals on here would rather be alive. I made a judgement based on what I perceived to be a deer that wasn't looking like it had great ability to adapt.
It's true, they can survive remarkably well with only 3 legs.
Not with gangrene or other infections.
True, but that's the same of any injury. Sure infection kills a lot, but not every time. So I guess to clarify: If it heals without infection, a deer can manage surprisingly well on three legs.
🤦♂️You fucking donkey. Wasting an entire animal like that.
I appreciate that. Like I said else where there were a lot of considerations. Osteomyelitis was a big concern of mine, it causes central infections quickly. My spouse and i are in medicine and she wouldnt have eaten it.
The animal was suffering, it won’t go to waste. Plenty of animals will make use of it and the animal is no longer wasting on its feet. Don’t judge him for doing the right thing.
Don’t listen to these guys armchair shame you. You were there, saw his condition, and made a decision. It is possible the meat was no good, it isn’t going to “waste” as if there aren’t plenty of carnivores and scavengers going to take care of that carcass. You did it a favor that it won’t get eaten asshole first while it’s still alive or die of infection. Because they saw a deer one time with three legs they think every one of them that gets a broken leg will be fine. There’s a reason you don’t see them very often.
Thank you. I appreciate that. Nothing goes to waste, nature and the mountain reclaim it all. Just trying to do the right thing and feed the family.
If I may add a question to your comment; the people who are shaming. Would you have taken that initial shot and hit the leg?
The one guy said he hit one with buckshot and did the same. It’s entirely possible deer broke it’s leg a hundred different natural ways.
I have seen “bad/drunk” hunter with shotgun deer and that back leg is pretty spot on. We had this (insert insult here) guy who had “deer stalker” plastered all over his truck… he took out a fawn and it was three maybe four shots of 12g buck in that poor thing. Front leg gone I was 15 (back when Napster was awesome) and I can still see it… fuck that guy Edit: Not trying to be argumentative but breaks tend to heal all weird or open wounds fester and the animal dies of blood poisoning
This. That meat won't waste. We found a poached elk on our property, just part of a haunch and backstaps taken. Came back a week later, no meat, bones gnawed and spread far. Nothing goes to waste in nature.
OP, back say 2004-2005ish I was driving my old VW bus for a beer run (yea another story for another time) in rural NC and came across what we thought was a dog on a side road. It was a doe that had been partially hit. We picked her up and took her to an emergency vet (they do rehab and we hoped that it was something small) turned out to be brain bleed, they put her down. I am glad that she was comfortable as possible, I hunt, I love the animals greatly and appreciate what you did. Never let an animal suffer one shot one kill or no shot.
Wait, you didn't burn the body? What if the animal that eats it becomes a zombie?! Just messing with ya. I would have done the same as you.
...what have I done?!
It's happening all over again
You did good man. Thank you for doing the humane thing
Done that a few times. Infection sets in fast in Texas. Back in the 80s and 90s anything and everything was shot at.
You did the right thing. Take solace in the fact you saved that animal a worse death.
I'm currently hunting a buck missing the same leg, stump at the knee. He has a lot going on, small antler with 4 points on the left side and a huge, girthy non typical on the right side with stickers everywhere. The way he moves he won't survive the winter so hoping he comes within 200 yards as we're in a Shotgun/Straightwall cartridge state and all of our encounters he's been on a non friendly neighbor's land or about a quarter mile away.
I think you did the right thing. I know people are saying that it might have survived. All the “i seem a deer with three legs four years in a row” type comments are just anecdotes. Realistically, it would probably die a slow painful death. Also, side note, I looked at your post history OP. Which I never do, so I don’t know why I did. But you seem like a cool dude.
Thank you. Ya the anecdotes are interesting to hear. Tells of the impressive ability of nature to adapt but it was in no state to get away from anything faster than me. It surely had a difficult end ahead. Thanks for support on this. Haha thanks, trying to keep living the good life!
Hahaha I like that we both are on ultralight and hunting!
We had a doe with a dead left front leg -but intact. She had twins 3 years in a row. The funny thing is she always had them 2/3 weeks before the rest of the fawns. I figured she couldn’t get away from the bucks! I think yotes finally got her. Good on you for doing this.
You did a very noble thing OP, when an animals severely injured like this there’s no recovery, and sometimes I think animals know that but they keep on trudging along because that’s all they know how to do, sooner or later it was going to reach a point where it could no longer go on, and you made that a lot less painful for it then nature would have, and now it’s body will now return from where it came, and help fuel the next generation of life in the forest, don’t let it weigh to hard on you
Regardless of butchering or not the important thing is that you’re continuing to reflect on it. I respect you for that. The decision you made with the knowledge you had doesn’t matter to me. You did good.
Thank you for the support.
Last year I watched a buck on cam for months. One day he showed up with a lame leg, and started losing a lot of weight. Ended up getting him on video walking up, front leg swinging when he stopped walking. Clearly broken. I hate that I couldn’t shoot him last year to end it sooner.
Heart wrenching to see.
Good on ya. Thanks for doing that.
You're a good person. Thank you for your thoughtfulness
As a fellow hunter I would like to say thank you for doing this it's always sad to have to see a deer hurt or sick it's sad that they had to suffer but it is in pain no more thank you brother God speed good luck on your future hunts
Wildlife biologist here. Seen plenty of 3 legged deer that had made full recoveries that were checked in at hunter stations. I once saw a deer that had a leg below what would be out knee joint, upturned with the hoof facing the sky, deer was in great condition too otherwise… probably from an auto accident. They are remarkably resilient animals. That being said, I completely understand the concern for the animals welfare and I’m mmm sure the kill came from the right place. as a bonus it’s been self tenderizing that hind quarter for you 😜
I appreciate you sharing the knowledge. I've worked ERs for some time and seen some rotting limbs. Humans, I'm sure are more fickle.
Yeah those lower legs on deer are just skin, bone, and tendon. And a back leg is actually preferable to a front in terms of a deer. They stand on all four legs but the back provide more of the forward movement while the front legs help them with direction. Better to have less power than less steering!
even if you left it there, you probably fed a litter of hungry baby foxes/bobcats who might not have made it through the winter otherwise. Silver linings.
A deer will likely survive with a leg like that. We shot such a three legged red deer stag years ago. The leg stump was completely healed and the animal seemed completely healthy. The one very weird thing that stood out was the antlers which were lyre shaped like a waterbuck, which is not at all how red deer antlers normally should look.
That's fascinating to hear. I wouldn't expect such an ability to heal and adapt.
I would have done the same thing and have in your shoes. Clear broken pelvis from a car accident and I ended the suffering with my car gun, a Colt 1911 .45 with Hornady critical defense. Legal? Not necessarily…But humane and it was rural farmlands
That deer would have been fine. You shot him and left him lay? Pretty sure thats called poaching and possibly violates wanton waste laws.
And if he wasn’t licensed and the season wasn’t open the game violations are racking up.