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

[steveR]

headshot from back or front , spine at the base of the neck - from behind, or chest - you have more range than you think since at anything under 5m you are essentially firing single ball. irrespective of what is in the chamber. You need to be careful with a headshot since the brain is high up in the skull - easy to go too low and blow the jaw away.

If you go for the chest then go just behind the front leg and just under halfway up to blow the heart out - if the animal is down then make allowance accordingly.


The thing with any firearm is to make sure that the line of fire is clear - although shotgun is better in this regard than rifle

View attachment 849027

Excellent guidance, thank you!

 

[ollie989898]

I hope you lot never find me injured by the roadside.?

Don't you worry, I'll soon have you carted off-alive- for bizarre medical experiments. Let me just get my gloves and white coat on... here we go.... sharp scratch coming up...

 

[ollie989898]

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.

Thank you

 

[Bogweevil]

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.

So just to be clear, did you run over girlfriends head or badgers?

 

[ollie989898]

I once stopped in my truck at the roadside to speak to a woman who had literally moments before clouted a small fox in broad daylight and on a nasty fast but narrow road. It was flat out on it's side, unconscious and breathing very rapidly usually a sure sign of hypovolemia.

I immediately reassured the woman that I could take care of it. Given the nature of my vee-hicle, general bearing and typically formal rural attire the first thing she asked was if I was a vet whilst I was searching around in the back of my truck. I was hesitant to answer but I fear the appearance of my all-metal trenching spade (soil sampling) may have given the game away as they are generally not found in the boot of a vets car.

She didn't that kindly to that and insisted the RSCPA were on their way and that I legally could not take any action.

I did not press the issue but got back in the truck and left.

Where does the law stand on killing animals maimed on the roads?

 

[woodypaul]

There is a system were the police have registered stalkers numbers to ring but armed response for get called if not doing anything else but they have to use different ammo in there gun as on duty not aloud to use expanding ammo.
I despatch a fallow near mine and the next thing that came up the road was double becker bus with everyone on the top deck looking down.

 

[egbert]

I once stopped in my truck at the roadside to speak to a woman who had literally moments before clouted a small fox in broad daylight and on a nasty fast but narrow road. It was flat out on it's side, unconscious and breathing very rapidly usually a sure sign of hypovolemia.

I immediately reassured the woman that I could take care of it. Given the nature of my vee-hicle, general bearing and typically formal rural attire the first thing she asked was if I was a vet whilst I was searching around in the back of my truck. I was hesitant to answer but I fear the appearance of my all-metal trenching spade (soil sampling) may have given the game away as they are generally not found in the boot of a vets car.

She didn't that kindly to that and insisted the RSCPA were on their way and that I legally could not take any action.

I did not press the issue but got back in the truck and left.

Where does the law stand on killing animals maimed on the roads?

I had to take my best Collie into t'vets one day for a stitching job on a bank holiday.
(with a big gash in his lip after nocturnally scrapping with something... causing a humorous flappy motion from a bit hanging down when he opened his mouth)
The vet, who knew me, asked if I'd just wait a moment while she 'tended to' an injured badger that some numpties had found and brought in.
'Tended to' involved a substantial injection of something terminal...no diagnostics, no fuss.
Good girl.

I daresay subsequent enquiries referred to it slipping peacefully away.

 

[egbert]

I've had to dispatch a wide variety of critters over the years.
Pretty much every mammal whose skull I've peaked into has the brain right at the top, so .22 round, or at need a blunt instrument, wants to come in from the top.
Certainly don't aim anything like 'between the eyes', as said above. you'll only p*ss em off.
An osses brain box is a long way up from there..and not very big either.

If you've really nothing to hand, and the critter is small enough, just close off their nostrils/mouth.
It is an unhappy minute or so, but that's got to be better than watching something suffer.

On firearms on the highway.
It'll be a level headed copper that lets it pass nowadays.
A neighbour was called out to a mare hit on a moorland road backalong.
She arrived to find it flailing about with 2 broken legs....in about as much stress as you can imagine.
The cops who were already on hand were told she'd got hold of her lad, and he was minutes away with the rifle.
'Oh no' the declared, 'you can't discharge a firearm on the highway'.
'we've called a knackerman/vet with a boltgun.' (I forget which)

I believe the boltgun operative took an hour or so to rock up.
Poor frickin mare.
(no-one had the gumption to do it, but it would have been easy to send a copper off in either direction and close the road...but hey ho)

 

[som farmer]

So just to be clear, did you run over girlfriends head or badgers?

the bloody badger, just as well could have been the gf, put paid to my intentions, and the blossoming romance, thinking on, perhaps it was for the best, don't think she would have made a farmers wife !!

 

[Pond digger]

Don't you worry, I'll soon have you carted off-alive- for bizarre medical experiments. Let me just get my gloves and white coat on... here we go.... sharp scratch coming up...

Scary f****r.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I've had to dispatch a wide variety of critters over the years.
Pretty much every mammal whose skull I've peaked into has the brain right at the top, so .22 round, or at need a blunt instrument, wants to come in from the top.
Certainly don't aim anything like 'between the eyes', as said above. you'll only p*ss em off.
An osses brain box is a long way up from there..and not very big either.

If you've really nothing to hand, and the critter is small enough, just close off their nostrils/mouth.
It is an unhappy minute or so, but that's got to be better than watching something suffer.

On firearms on the highway.
It'll be a level headed copper that lets it pass nowadays.
A neighbour was called out to a mare hit on a moorland road backalong.
She arrived to find it flailing about with 2 broken legs....in about as much stress as you can imagine.
The cops who were already on hand were told she'd got hold of her lad, and he was minutes away with the rifle.
'Oh no' the declared, 'you can't discharge a firearm on the highway'.
'we've called a knackerman/vet with a boltgun.' (I forget which)

I believe the boltgun operative took an hour or so to rock up.
Poor frickin mare.
(no-one had the gumption to do it, but it would have been easy to send a copper off in either direction and close the road...but hey ho)

That’s utterly disgusting.

 

[unlacedgecko]

If the deer is still mobile then it’s best to call out a tracking dog team.

Find a Tracker

Simply click the 'Find My Location' button to automatically detect your location and search for trackers nearest to you. You can chage the radius of the search with the slider and then click submit to search again with the new radius. Note: Please make a note of your location from the

www.ukdtr.co.uk

 

[Dry Rot]

I am surprised that a heart/lung shot is recomemmended at all for dispatching an injured animal. They can remain active for a surprisingly long time on oxygen in the circulation system even though the heart is no longer pumping. Whereas with a shot to the head or neck the animal collapses like a pricked balloon. It is not so much the weapon that's used but how it is used. There a lot of Scottish red deer that have been poached with the humble .22LR and solid point bullets. It was also the Mafia's favourite weapon for disposing of those who would not accept an reasonable offer!

 

[egbert]

That’s utterly disgusting.

but regrettably true

 

[egbert]

I am surprised that a heart/lung shot is recomemmended at all for dispatching an injured animal. They can remain active for a surprisingly long time on oxygen in the circulation system even though the heart is no longer pumping. Whereas with a shot to the head or neck the animal collapses like a pricked balloon. It is not so much the weapon that's used but how it is used. There a lot of Scottish red deer that have been poached with the humble .22LR and solid point bullets. It was also the Mafia's favourite weapon for disposing of those who would not accept an reasonable offer!

A previous local hunt master carried a .22 revolver, with which he'd drop a casualty cow like you'd switched the lights off.

 

[Bogweevil]

the bloody badger, just as well could have been the gf, put paid to my intentions, and the blossoming romance, thinking on, perhaps it was for the best, don't think she would have made a farmers wife !!

Ah well, we've all been there.

 

[unlacedgecko]

but regrettably true

I don’t doubt.

I once came across a couple by the side of the road with the hazards on their car. I stopped and as I walked towards them they asked if I was from the RSPCA (I was driving a white Astra van and wearing a hi vis jacket). Turned out they had seen a fox with a rear paw stuck between 2 top strands of plain wire. I said I could have the keeper there in 10mins, but they didn’t want it hurt. So I offered to untwist the wire and free it (I’ve some experience in live handling wild foxes ?). They insisted on waiting for the charity worker in fancy dress.


I’ve also assisted out several deer following RTAs. Generally the most difficult thing is getting the public out the way!

 

[unlacedgecko]

.22 back of the head into the brain. Have helped more than one neighbour in the past...

Totally agree with your final comments...

You put down your neighbours?!

 

[Farmer Roy]

A niece of mine was a cop, based at Mudgee ( country town, central NSW, famous for wine, among other things ).
there was a call from a women who was distressed that a rather large male kangaroo ( they can be quite aggressive ) was trapped in her garden, in town. Tash responded, walked around the back & shot the roo with her service pistol. Problem solved . . .
She was the one who seemed to deal with all the injured animal calls that the cops received.
She did have issues explaining all the ammunition she was using, as she was basically the only cop in the station who was discharging her weapon

 

[abitdaft]

Cheers Steve, I've often wondered what other people do for their personal homekill.

I just do what my old man showed me to do, and his main focus was "don't just leave it to bleed out, for God's sake, what a way to die" hence the quick neck-break.

I hope the veginas aren't reading this thread, but View attachment 848940
This is about the perfect tool for emergency usage, it doubles as an extension for the wheel-brace, and will kill anything under 750kgs (trust me on this one, I've killed a bull with it)

This reminds me of a time around14 years ago, we were going off for a weeks holiday and I looked out into the yard to see my old cat playing with a mixy rabbit, poor rabbit was blind and I couldn't stand the thought of going off and leaving it to be tortured by the cat. I went out into the shed and the olnly thing I could find was a hammer. Grabbed the hammer and steeled myself for the deed! A swift, meant blow was the hope, but actually took two hits. Job done, I stood up and turned to see my three kids at the window watching what I had just done ( eldest was 8 ) HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!