Friend and I were driving back from the Indy 1500 gun show yesterday, and another car hit a deer.  Crunched the front end of their car pretty bad, it needed to be towed.  Everyone in that car was OK, except for a couple cuts and bruises.  They pulled over and we pulled over to help them out.  Friend deployed the road warning triangles while I called the sheriff's department.

We went looking for the deer, it was wounded real badly in the ditch, but still was breathing for a while.  Took the sheriff about 15 minutes to arrive, during which the deer, a doe, finally stopped breathing.  I am an Illinois resident, and we were still in Indiana, and I didn't know the law there, so I didn't shoot it, but out of curiosity, what should you do in a situation like that?  I thought it would be best if I shot it in the head with my carbine to put it out, but my friend said it would be best if we waited for the sheriff.

I don't know.  Good question though.  I guess it'd depend on the scenario...and the proximity of a local authority...and people who'd tell on you.

I think your friend was correct.  It's best not to discharge a firearm if you are unsure of anything.

sounds like youre just dying to whip out an AR and use for something.
GG

I was following a semi out in the middle of no where, late at night when it hit a deer and kept going. The doe's hips and rear legs were torn almost completely off, but she was in shock and still trying to pull herself. There was no one around and I couldn't stand to leave her like that. The only guns I had were a Kahr P9 Covert and the 16" AR in the trunk. Wanting to give it a quick, sure death, I fired one 64gr. Power Point Plus into her head from about 10 yards. The doe died instantly. It is hard to imagine a cop or wildlife official giving me grief over doing putting the animal out of its misery.

Here in middle Alabama the local public are always shooting animals that are hit by vehicles. The police do not care, saves on paper work.

Heck know, thin I'ld have to clean the gun whinst I got home. I'ld git down thar and use my barlow knife . OOPS sorry was readin the redneck post.

I guess if it was clear the animal was mortally wounded and suffering, I agree that normally nobody is going to make a fuss.  However, I'ld be damn sure the weapon was legal where I was otherwise a pistol might be much better in that situation.

We saw a guy dispatch a deer just outside of Mammoth along 395.  the kids asked if I would ever do that, "Yes, it isn't right to let a dumb animal suffer.  So don't break a leg in front of me."

It's probably just about the only time I would actually get to use my trunk gun.

I read an article sometime ago where I guy had a handgun and shot a deer another driver had just hit. He was charged with hunting w/o a license, wrong type of weapon, out of season. They all later were dropped but did cause quite an inconvience.

In Virginia you may not discharge your firearm 100yds from the centerline of a state maintained road.  Many counties and states have similar rules and regs.

I would get specific instruction from the game warden before capping any suffering animal on the roadside.  Hell, you could lose your car gun and lots o' money defending the case.  Especially since they are not in season right now, right?

Stupid rules, but got to know them.....

Ed

In Oregon, it is illegal to dispatch a wounded animal. You are supposed to call a State Trooper to take care of the animal. The reason is that it is considered hunting out of season and without tag and license. I know that it is rediculous to picture some fellas driving around in a beater running over deer just to get meat. But, I have been party to applying a mercy shot when the need arises.

Karl

Discharging a firearm under thses conditions in Texas is now a state jail felony.  I think your friend was right.  However, I sure would not want to see that animal suffer.

Hey, If I get hit by a car and am torn in half and gurgling up blood and entrails, pleae put me out of my misery!

[BD]

Judging from the senario,Gun show ,Ar in the vehicle, I'm figuring you have big, sharp folder clipped in your right pocket.
Why didn't you cut her throat?

You could always go the brutal route and just snap the deers neck.  Hell, Gina Davis did it in the Long Kiss Goodnight, so how hard can it be?

Good point.  But afterward you gotta yell out "BOO-YAA!!!"

I'da done it and damn the law. If I was to get "caught", I'd explain myself--I got a knack for talking my way out of that kind of thing, and I doubt even a judge would give me grief. But I'd make damn sure the gun I used was legal, and the line of ricochet was safe. So long as I could point those considerations out, I think I'd be able to skate. (At least, it worked once before...and I shot the animal on Ygnacio Valley Road in Concord, PRK [population 45,000? workers commute to SF and Silicon Valley from there]. I showed the sheriff where I planned for the ricochet, dug the bullet out of the side of the hill where it actually ricochet'd, and the Sheriff's Dept. let me slide.) People thought I was crazy to come out of the house with a gun, but we all agreed and cleared the crowd to an area so the ricochet wouldn't hurt anyone, and it was done.

To put it another way, have you ever paid money to a vetrinarian to aid or end your pet's misery? That the suffering animal is not a pet doesn't matter. Years later, I'd never regret paying the money like I would leaving the animal in its' misery.