Putting down injured animals

[230RN]

FROM SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RE INJURED ANIMALS

VERBATIM FROM THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COLORADO
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT E-MAIL CONTACT LIST

RELEVANT TO OTHER AREAS OF COLORADO

POSSIBLY RELEVANT TO OTHER STATES --CHECK YOUR STATE LAWS

SEE BOLDFACED PORTION BELOW

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Date: 19 Jan 2007, 01:52:54 PM
Subject: [Sheriff-North] Wildlife near roadways

The snow and wind of recent weeks have been making life difficult for wildlife in Jefferson County and throughout the state. Elk and deer in Jefferson County are making their way toward roadways and train tracks that have been cleared. They are apparently attracted to these areas for relief from the difficult, snow-crusted terrain, as well as the salt in the gravel on the roads.

The Sheriff's Office urges motorists to drive with extra
caution during this cold spell and be aware of the
possibility for more wildlife near our roads. In
December, 50 percent of auto accidents on Highway 285
in Jefferson County were animal-related; also in
December, 25 percentof accidents on Highway 74 in
Evergreen were animal related.

If you or someone driving near you hits a deer, elk,
or other wild animal, please contact the Sheriff?s
Office. If you deem the situation to be an emergency
-- for instance, creating a road hazard that might
cause an accident -- please call 911. Otherwise,
please call our non-emergency number at 303-277-0211.

State law dictates that only law enforcement officers may put down wildlife injured as a result of a traffic accident. While there are many people in the community capable of properly putting down an injured and suffering animal, state law requires that deputies undertake this task. Please call and provide the animal's location so that a deputy can quickly and
humanely handle the situation and render the roadway safe again.

Thank you, and please drive safely.

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Pardon any word-wrap problems.

230RN

 

[Rembrandt]

As it should be....in nearly all states wildlife is property of the state. Citizens can only take one legally after purchaseing a license. To do otherwise could be interpreted as poaching.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

So much for that freezer full of venison.

Untrained people (e.g., most non-hunters) ought not to try it, though. They can very easily make the animal worse off or get themselves hurt.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Quickly and humanely must mean however long it takes LE to get around to it. If I was an animal I'd hate to get hit on a busy night, I could stuffer for hours.

 

[fanof357]

I have never in the past nor would I in the future ask for help or permission to end an animals suffering.

 

[shooter503]

As a Sheriff said to me.

"If someone I didn't know shot the animal I would be upset".

"If one of the locals did it and reported it promptly I would figure they did the right thing".

Hope your Sheriffs have so much common-sense.

 

[Gord]

Untrained people (e.g., most non-hunters) ought not to try it, though.

A doubletap to the head requires training?

 

[Geronimo45]

Somebody shots the critter on the road. Bullet goes through the brain, ricochets off the road... and who knows where it goes?

 

[T J]

I think it was around two years ago I hit a deer (8 point buck) about 3:00 in the afternoon not during hunting (rut) season when the bucks get pretty "distracted". The deer was not dead at the time (still breathing), so I called Parks & Wildlife to see what I should do. They said stay away from it as it could be dangerous and might hurt someone in that state. I asked if I should shoot it to put it out of it's misery and prevent it from possibly hurting someone, and they said NO. About this time a State Trooper comes up and stops and asks if everything is OK, and I tell him that I'm OK, vehicle a little torn up but driveable, and about what TPWD said. I reiterated to him a couple of times about they said the deer could be dangerous, but to not shoot it. The Trooper never raised and eyebrow that I was obviously armed since I offered to shoot the deer. He went on his way, and I mine. The deer was left laying per instructions. Pretty sure it had expired by the time I left.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Quickly and humanely must mean however long it takes LE to get around to it. If I was an animal I'd hate to get hit on a busy night, I could stuffer for hours.

And if I was pinned in a car wreck in freezing weather, I'd hate to wait for a deputy to finish putting down a deer on the other side of the county, so he could resume his patrol and find me.

 

[Colt46]

Another law that I would ignore

At my peril, perhaps, but the idea that an employee of the state must dispatch an animal I injured is ridiculous.

 

[larry_minn]

Things have changed because of "One time...." I saw a car hit a deer. Animal was injured badly. I checked out family in car then checked on deer. Legs busted like garden hose/ribs clearly broken/coughing up blood,can't even crawl away. So I ask lady from car (most in charge person) "don't you think it would be best to put this poor animal out of her misery?" She agreed so I had her move back with car and shot deer.
Then I sent her/car to local PD. Called half hour later and Officer asked if I was person who shot deer. "I was there when it suffered lead posioning" He seemed slightly upset but said I could take deer and come in for (permit) later as I was not dressed for going into town and had trailer behind pickup.
Got home and my mom threatened to call DNR until I told her I had permission.

 

[pete f]

lady in front of me hit a deer a few years ago in UP michigan heading over to Iron Mt, where my dad was interim pastor of a church. it had broken its back and was thrashing and obviously in pain. I had a 10.22 in the truck and after making sure the lady was ok, she commented that the poor animal was in such pain. I told her I could fix it, and she was relieved, having hit it, she felt awful. One .22 in the ear hole and it was down. I had just finished dragging it off to the side of the road when a county sheriff drove up from the oncoming direction. I was standing there with a 10/22 in my hand, a dead deer at my feet and a car all tore up from hitting the deer. He looked at me, nodded, asked if it was dead, I responded something to the effects of 'it is now' and then asked if i would help him toss it in the trunk of the squad. No problem I said, and he spread out a tarp, we swing the deer in, he told me to make sure the gun got put back in its case and off he went after the tow truck came for the ladies car.

Some peace officers get it, some do not. A dead deer on the side of the road with bits of head light and grill still in it, is not a poached deer if it has a bullet hole in the head.

I am sorry but that is a stupid law, animal in suffering, perhaps still trying to walk in traffic, is a threat to safety as well as the notion of right and wrong.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

am I

the only one whos eaten roadkill?


ST

 

[aaronrkelly]

Around here we will ask if they can safely do it....if they say hes we let them have at it.

Its not rocket science.....and this area is very rural.

 

[ProguninTN]

Lone Haranguer

So much for that freezer full of venison.

I got mine around Thanksgiving. Mmm. good. (First time I ever had it.) Still got some left.

 

[B yond]

I've finished off a couple of deer on the side of the road. A few times I had a gun with me, but I always chose a survival knife or hatchet instead, just to avoid ricochets. These were also animals that I didn't think would get up and fight me about it.

 

[buttrap]

most the time they call a cop and the HWY dept cant get one thats within 2 hours and call us at the office..can you go off this deer at such and such.

 

[230RN]

MORAL VERSUS LEGAL CHOICE

I posted that one for a couple of reasons.

1. Publicize the problem with critters running around plowed and cleared areas.

2. Get some other opinions about the State Law and what you would do. I think it was necessary for the Sheriff's Department to add that caution about an LEO being required to put them down. I see it as just another case of overcaution on the part of the lawmakers: "we'd better say no rather than yes."

I put down a goose once that was tangled in fishing line about fifty feet off the dam of Boulder Reservoir, flapping and trying to take off. Would get about two feet, stop, and then get pulled back by something underwater. No way to get to it, and I didn't want my Lab to get out there and get tangled, too. Leashed her up and did the dirty deed. I guess it was legal. Had my migratory stamp and everything. Just failed to collect the "harvested" game.

I've never had the misfortune to face that decision with respect to road injuries.

I guess I'd do the right thing even if I thought it might endanger my CCW, and if an LEO got icky about it, go for a jury trial*. I know we had one Game Warden around Boulder CO for a while who was a real tight-@ss. He'd cite you for the most trivial thing.

He got promoted out field duties, so the hunters didn't have to worry about him any more.

Thanks for the feedback.

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* Google "jury nullification" --but don't let's get off track on that.

 

[Nortonics]

10+ years ago I popped a 200+ pounder male doing 50+ mph. I have never seen a deer truly fly 15' through the air, across 4 lanes of traffic, and land in the grassy shoulder on the other side of the road! Damn that thing was like a missile, I swear. Ran over toward him to check conditions - broke both of its back legs during the hit, but he survived it. And he was pretty frantic at that stage. Tried getting away at all costs, and he wouldn't let anybody near him - damn pitiful watching that scene. Moments later a Trooper arrived and went to expire the animal. I could not believe how much strength that animal still had in it. The Trooper chased him over 100 feet, all the time the poor thing dragging it's two broken back legs, right up to the tree line along the side of the road. Took him a few minutes to let the animal settle down just so he could place a good single expiration shot to the head.

Finished up asking if I wanted the animal - that would be a "no thanks". Officers buddy that followed him in a tow truck runs it up the hill to the deer, they toss it in the back end, and off they go...

God that night sucked.

 

[Rembrandt]

While it may seem like the ethical and moral thing to do....you'd be opening yourself up a Pandora's box of potential legal problems. Shooting from a roadway is a violation that could get you fined, loose hunting privileges, or land in the back of a cruiser. People driving down the road (not knowing the situation) see someone with their firearm drawn will most likely call you in.

If you want to risk your CCW, firearm, legal expenses and more to some local magistrate, jury, or politically motivated prosecutor......you're a bigger gambler than I. As you sit on the witness stand the first question the prosecutor will ask is "and why didn't you call the authorities"?

 

[TallPine]

the only one whos eaten roadkill?

When I lived in Alaska, I was associated with a non-profit group that was on the list to get roadkill moose. The call would usually come in the middle of the night, and you had to go right then or else go to the end of the list again.

I went out a couple times to help get moose - not much fun on a 35 below zero night. Huge cloud of steam when you opened up the belly, and quite a chore to get the carcass up in the back of a 4wd pu.

Most of the meat was okay - of course we cut out the bruised and bloodied portions.


As far as putting down a road injured deer ... I personally know the game warden and most of the deputies around here, so I don't think it would be a problem. Easier to get forgiveness than permission, etc. Pretty often I hear calls for the sheriff on the radio for "deer flopping around on the highway" and I think: "well, why don't you take care of it yourself, you lazy dumbass"

Fortunately the deer I have hit were DRT, but I have stopped pulled them out of the road.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

pull out your knife, slit it's throat and throw in the back of the truck...

 

[The Rifleman]

About 10 years ago I was taking my little girl home to her mothers house on a Sunday night when a car in front of me hit a large 10 point buck.

The car was smashed to pieces and the deer had a broken back and it's antlers were so large that it couldn't crawl under the guardrails (ARMCO in racing terms ). It was laying on it's side thrashing it's legs, trying to get away.

I pulled out a large crowbar, since I was a carpenter at the time and had my tools in the trunk.

The crazy woman in the car that hit the deer was crying her head off and yelling at me not to hit the deer with the crowbar. Her reply was that they had called the Pennsylvania Game Comission and the Pennsylvania State Police. What did this woman think? That they were going to take the deer to a veterinarian..

A deer in Clearfield County - which had the largest deer kill per a county in the state during rifle season. Was worth about as much as a .22 bullet to them.

The cop shot it and one of the by standers took it in his pickup and by the next day it was steaks and chops.

Animals do not have feelings - per say like human beings do. Yes they feel pain, but god put them on this earth for me to shoot and eat. Period.
Just because you see Bambi on tv and he is talking to his mother and all doesn't mean that they can talk and have feelings. If deer had guns, feelings, and a working brain that gave them thought and reason and problem solving capabilities - there wouldn't be a hunter alive in the woods.

The State of Pennsylvania has to pay people to haul away dead deer and the workmans comp and all of injuries of workers that hurt their backs trying to heft these deer on the back of pick up trucks and Penndot dump trucks is enormous. So they changed the law to read that anyone - reguardless of if they hit the deer or not could pick up the deer. Report it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission and return the head and the hide. Eat or give away the meat. As long as it was consumed in 4 months.

Now they ammended that law to also read that you cannot dispatch a injured animal.

I guess too many people were picking up deer that wern't seriously injured from the auto accident. Driving around in old junk wrecked cars and shooting them for food.

 

[MachIVshooter]

In most rural parts of this state the Sherriff will authorize a civilian to terminate the mortally wounded animal. I have personal experience with this in Eastern Arapahoe county, where my good friend made the call about a deer on the roadside that was obviously paralyzed in it's hindquarters and bleeding all over. He mentioned that he was on his way home from the Aurora gun club and could dispatch the deer immediately to end it's suffering. The operator told him to shoot the deer and they would send animal control at a later time to recover the carcass.

It should be noted that this was in unincorporated Arapahoe county, well outside of Aurora city limits. I suspect that they would not authorize one to discharge a firearm within the city, even under these circumstances.