How to humanely kill deer that have been hit by a car

[snipe]

came across a deer that had been hit by a car tonight. Driver of car was still there trying to help it but it was obvious that it needed putting to sleep. No hammer, knife or rifle in car so I turned it’s head round 360 degrees to brake its neck and covered it’s nose and mouth with my hand to stop it breathing, it did the job in about 10 seconds and did not struggle. Just wandering if any people on the forum who are experienced in game/hunting think I went about it the right way?... and how should it be done.

 

[RushesToo]

Not sure I would be strong enough to break its neck. I would use the car to run over it - head and neck area. Would be interested to know the best way.

 

[woodypaul]

What species of deer was it.

 

[snipe]

Think it would be a roe, but I’m not an expert, size of a Labrador.

 

[RushesToo]

Muntjac

 

[woodypaul]

I would say muntjac can be dangerous when injured you were lucky.
Quickest way of despatch is cut spinal cord, back of head in line with base of ears and between is the atlas bone push a screw driver or knife in and move it about.
But you do need to know what your doing.

 

[Scholsey]

Swung one by its back legs against those concrete water markers in the verge on the way to cereals several years ago, had never seen a muntjac before, splattered blood all up my shirt and a mob of cyclists went past as I was doing it, very traumatic for everyone involved.

 

[Clive]

safest way given you had nothing like a knife, gun or hammer to hand would have been to run over it’s head i guess

getting up close to them when badly injured can be dangerous

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Humanly - feed it pills, put it in a home until it dies of old age

Humanely - towball/receiver part of vehicle to quickly incapacitate it for your safety, then break the neck against your forearm
Do NOT just cut the throat, and if you are going to cut the throat, use your noodle and don't cut towards yourself as they usually give a kick at the worst possible moment

But yes @snipe you did well, I hunt game / butcher our stock regularly and it's something that is easier to do with practice, not easy if you aren't practiced - you get the thumbs up from me

 

[kill]

Run over it or heavy spanner or Jack from tool kit in car and a well targeted hit or two

 

[deleted user 837354]

Always have knife and something in the car ie extension bar for this but where exactly do you hit them? I would aim to knock it out first then cut throat but again how exactly.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Always have knife and something in the car ie extension bar for this but where exactly do you hit them? I would aim to knock it out first then cut throat but again how exactly.

Draw imaginary lines from the eyes to the base of the horn diagonally opposite, just a fingernail above that centre point
Too low and you'll just píss him off and give him a nosebleed, too high won't kill because the bone protects the brain

Hard as you can, you'll only kill him once, may as well be the first tap.

 

[jellybean]

I always carry my humane killer in the pickup plus a good knife but that is maybe not going to help with the ones that are still mobile but badly smashed. That's when you need your rifle but you are then laying yourself open to all sorts of legal issues if anybody sees you shoot on a public highway or you shoot on someone else land without permission, but only if you get caught. Your conscience and common sense will come to your rescue in most cases.

 

[Chae1]

Run over it or heavy spanner or Jack from tool kit in car and a well targeted hit or two

My friend once dispatched one with a bottle jack on roadside. Onlookers were a bit disturbed when he stood up again and got back in car spattered in blood.

 

[Phil P]

?

 

[som farmer]

apparently, the preferred way to despatch deer when needing emergency action, with none of usual tools to hand, is to put a plastic bag over its head, quite clean, better than covering your self with blood.
Many years ago, out with a new girlfriend, ran over a badger, badger wasn't dead, girl wasn't happy about it, so, move brain back up to head, reversed back over it, job done, unfortuantly not, the bagger took a bite out of the tyre, then it was a messy tyre change ! As one might say, that finished the job, twice.
It's suprising how often we get asked to deliver a 'coup de grace' to various casualties, last week a deer caught in a garden fence.

 

[Exfarmer]

I was asked to dispatch a deer on the side of the road, called police, may I shoot it?
answer definitely not!
as the caller was a known local animal rights fan, I called out the forestry , it took them a couple of hours and they shot it, poor thing.

 

[Dry Rot]

I can't imagine being out without a knife any more than being out without my house keys! Yes, I have a legitimate reason for carrying one, I'm a farmer. A car without a jack?

Be very careful around injured deer, especially around the head area and even more so if they have horns. Feet can also be dangerous when an animal is likely to flay around. According to murder files on TV, the place to hit a victim with a hammer is on the back of the head which sounds about right. Then cut the side of the neck (not the throat or trachea) to sever the carotid artery. Incidentally, a badger has a pronounced sagittal crest or bone running along the top of it's skull with muscles attached each side so hitting it on the top of the head might not be very effective.

I'd ask the police for the number of the local 'dispatcher' (gamekeeper, knacker man, stalker, etc), but other than than probably disregard their advice, use commonsense, and have my day in court.

 

[pellow]

Probably wouldn't recommend the plastic bag method, a roe got run over on the road 200 metres from the farm entrance, a passer by stopped and said someone had been there for 5 minutes trying to suffocate it, when I got there the people trying to dispatch the deer were more distressed than the deer, used a lump hammer to dispatch and was amazed how easy it was

 

[JP1]

This thread certainly highlights a few things; not that many know how to dispatch a large deer correctly and humanely (me included I hasten to add)

It's very common around here ( as @Exfarmer will warrant), mainly Muntjac but not exclusively - we have a lot of Roe and Red Deer too
The local gamekeepers and countrymen are very loathe to deal with deer on public highways now. You can wait hours for a police ARV.

Most folks drive absolutely stupid speeds along "empty" country roads without any thought to a deer (or procession) jumping in front of their car or even through their windscreen