Euthanize a deer after car accident?

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  • Rob R.

    Active Member
    Oct 29, 2016
    771
    Harford Co
    Driving home a few minutes ago in Bel Air and a van two cars ahead of me hit a doe pretty bad, it was awful watching it suffer, kept trying to get up but atleast one leg was badly injured so it just continued to flop around.
    My gf was begging me to get out of the car and humanely euthanize it with my handgun (her father is a big hunter in upper PA), as she cringed seeing it in pain. This kinda irked me as I sit there and see this poor deer struggle and I went on a 5min speel on why I hate this state and the way society is today (she leans left so made her feel awful I’m sure). That I couldn’t do so because.. no real reason besides guns are scary and we live in a state of 60% +/- idiots who would frown upon that more than seeing a deer in severe pain while it takes police 20mins plus to arrive

    How is this typically handled? Call local PD, officer arrives and dispatch the animal with a firearm?

    I could not find much in the way of a definitive answer regarding say a CC holder or citizen with a long gun in the vehicle, or how the laws may very from county to county..
    Still really aggravated and feel awful right now after seeing that, kinda ruined my Saturday night to be honest.
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    Driving home a few minutes ago in Bel Air and a van two cars ahead of me hit a doe pretty bad, it was awful watching it suffer, kept trying to get up but atleast one leg was badly injured so it just continued to flop around.
    My gf was begging me to get out of the car and humanely euthanize it with my handgun (her father is a big hunter in upper PA), as she cringed seeing it in pain. This kinda irked me and I went on a 5min speel on why I hate this state and the way society is today (she leans left so made her feel awful I’m sure). That I couldn’t do so because.. no real reason besides guns are scary and we live in a state of 60% +/- idiots who would frown upon that more than seeing a deer in severe pain while it takes police 20mins plus to arrive

    How is this typically handled? Call local PD, officer arrives and dispatch the animal with a firearm?

    I could not find much in the way of a definitive answer regarding say a CC holder or citizen with a long gun in the vehicle, or how the laws may very from county to county..
    Still really aggravated and feel awful right now after seeing that, kinda ruined my Saturday night to be honest.

    That's pretty much the way it goes down.
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,159
    Driving home a few minutes ago in Bel Air and a van two cars ahead of me hit a doe pretty bad, it was awful watching it suffer, kept trying to get up but atleast one leg was badly injured so it just continued to flop around.
    My gf was begging me to get out of the car and humanely euthanize it with my handgun (her father is a big hunter in upper PA), as she cringed seeing it in pain. This kinda irked me and I went on a 5min speel on why I hate this state and the way society is today (she leans left so made her feel awful I’m sure). That I couldn’t do so because.. no real reason besides guns are scary and we live in a state of 60% +/- idiots who would frown upon that more than seeing a deer in severe pain while it takes police 20mins plus to arrive

    How is this typically handled? Police arrive and dispatch the animal with a firearm?

    I could not find much in the way of a definitive answer regarding say a CC holder or citizen with a long gun in the vehicle, or how the laws may very from county to county..
    Still really aggravated and feel awful right now after seeing that, kinda ruined my Saturday night to be honest.

    I know DNR police do the job sometimes and many years ago a horse that had been hit was done by a county police officer.
     

    lx1x

    Peanut Gallery
    Apr 19, 2009
    26,992
    Maryland
    Call police. .. yes.. they will take care of the deer.

    Don't do it yourself or you'll regret it.. discharging a firearm on/across public road is no-no.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    For my County PD , Ofc are forbidden from dispatching injured animals, they have to wait for Animal Control to respond .

    I was told there was an occasion when Ofc put down a badly injured dog , and the owners then sued , so bingo, policy categorically prohibiting putting down any animal .

    At one time relatively near my home , saw a doe that had apparently been hit by car, and had broken back. Being close to home , was back within 10 min with Marlin 94 . At that point Ofc was on scene. We had polite conversation to the agreement it was unsurvivable and suffering . And that he had no objections to me handling the situation , he just couldn't do so himself .
     

    bigdv

    Ultimate Member
    May 17, 2010
    1,297
    Calvert Co.
    About 15 years ago a lady hit a deer right in front of me. She was flipping out screaming, panicing, etc..... telling me how much she loved animals. Couldnt believe she hit this poor deer. She calls the police with her cell phone. The deer was suffering. I was on my way home from a muzzleloder hunt at my parents. I grabbed my muzzleloader, put a cap in it and put the deer down. Lady was totally flipping out. The cop shows up and says who put this deer down? I said i did. The cop says thank you very much.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,667
    Not Far Enough from the City
    For my County PD , Ofc are forbidden from dispatching injured animals, they have to wait for Animal Control to respond .

    I was told there was an occasion when Ofc put down a badly injured dog , and the owners then sued , so bingo, policy categorically prohibiting putting down any animal .

    At one time relatively near my home , saw a doe that had apparently been hit by car, and had broken back. Being close to home , was back within 10 min with Marlin 94 . At that point Ofc was on scene. We had polite conversation to the agreement it was unsurvivable and suffering . And that he had no objections to me handling the situation , he just couldn't do so himself .

    Was a time when there was no question.

    Sadly a time when there’s nowadays doubt, with some anyway.

    Good on you and on that cop both.
     

    eruby

    Confederate Jew
    MDS Supporter
    About 15 years ago a lady hit a deer right in front of me. She was flipping out screaming, panicing, etc..... telling me how much she loved animals. Couldnt believe she hit this poor deer. She calls the police with her cell phone. The deer was suffering. I was on my way home from a muzzleloder hunt at my parents. I grabbed my muzzleloader, put a cap in it and put the deer down. Lady was totally flipping out. The cop shows up and says who put this deer down? I said i did. The cop says thank you very much.

    S. E. Hinton weeps


    Good job bigdv. :thumbsup:
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    Call PD. Animal control rarely handles this. PD will shoot it dead. Then the paperwork begins.

    Shotgun preferred. Handgun an option. To save said paperwork, a host of other still humane options exist.


    Still recall the hipfiring of an 870 ... Thought the deer was down. Upon approach, deer and officer both got spooked. One shot, one dead deer.

    Then, what happens to deer? Can be called in and accounted for.... old timers used to carry tags with them to give to interested passer by.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    I was behind a car that hit a deer in MoCo one time. Woman who did it was hysterical. Waited for the police to show up. I was coming back from the range with my muzzleloader. I din't want to kill it without an official and not really in front of the driver. The police showed up and before I could offer my services he got a .22 rifle from his trunk and shot it in the head. It took several shots before it stopped moving.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I carry a 12 inch Bowie in the truck just for this reason. It's super sharp and will cut through their neck like a hot knife through butter. It gets messy if you can't cut away from you. :rolleyes:
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    Simply dont discharge a firearm to dispatch a deer hit by a car. DNR or police will come out. The laws regarding firearms discharge even vary #within# counties.

    In a rural area more than likely no one will complain and what no one sees or hears does hurt anyone. In a suburban or urban area... just call the po po.
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,376
    Hampstead
    I’ve done it multiple times, in different ways. If your gonna use a firearm, ALWAYS call the police. Both times I did it this way they were on scene in minutes. They saw we were in the middle of nowhere and a shotgun slug discharge was safe and let me do it. The other 5 times I’ve done it was with a folding hunting knife, Buck or Gerber. The knife method is kinda scary, and horrific to bystanders. After making sure its back is broken and it’s not too mobile, sneak up as best you can behind it then pounce on it with all your weight pinning its head/neck to the ground. Slip the knife flat under the neck, turn it vertical, then draw it up & towards you as hard as you can. Then jump up and let it scream & struggle, gurgling blood. Like I said, horrific to a bystander, but it’ll die quickly - far quicker than slowly dying of blood loss and trauma. I’ve made witnesses cry like babies, while at the same time thanking me for ending its suffering. Not for the week of heart for sure.

    Edit: If that thing is a little too mobile, front and/or rear legs still too lively - let it go. Don’t get yourself busted up. It’s not worth it.
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,537
    Columbia
    My buddy did it with a tire iron on the side of Rt. 66 in VA a few years back. It was pretty badly injured and a bunch of people were just standing there looking at it doing nothing. He got out of his truck and finished it off quickly.
     

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