Shooting an Animal you just struck with your vehicle

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

My state does allow you to keep anything you hit. Would it be alright to just slash it's throat?

 

[627PCFan]

Tanerite.
In all seriousness, dad said if you gonna do something do it right, back up and finish what you started. Theres less "shots fired" calls that way.

 

[brickeyee]

maybe the deer should slow down

Or at least only cross with the light or where the warning signs are.

Dam jaywalking DEER.:banghead:

Tire irons, they're not just for lug nuts anymore.

 

[Bubbles]

An insurance adjuster friend of mine told me this a long time ago that they will sometimes try and weasel out of a claim if you tell them you hit the deer.

The one time this happened to me there was absolutely no doubt based on the location of the blood and fur that I'd hit the deer, and not vice versa.

I've also seen deer run into the sides of cars, and even have a customer who was on his Harley motorcycle, stopped at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear, who had a buck run into him broadside and knock him and his bike over. Both he and the deer were ok but the deer punched a hole in his gas tank with a hoof.

To answer the question, I would call the po-po and let them dispatch it. IIRC there's a special tag they will give you to use for road kill, but I'm not that hard up for venison.

 

[Armored farmer]

A few years ago, a neighbor's horse managed to back out the sliding stock door of a livestock trailer, while it was going down the highway. the poor horse was dragged by it's halter for miles. As you can only imagine, it was a terrible ghastly scene. It was said that the people following was afraid to try to pass because the lead rope might have broken at any moment. No one wanted to hit a 1000lb horse with their car.

After she somehow noticed what had happened, and got stopped on the highway the woman who owned the horse, (my neighbor) desparately asked the onlookers if anyone had a gun to put the horse down asap. The Sheriff arrived soon because of 911 calls from people who had met the trailer on the road.

This story is a big reason why I have a "truck gun". I always feel like relating ir when posters claim having a gun that they leave in their vehicle is irresponsible.

 

[mljdeckard]

When I kill large game, I wait for it to be completely motionless for ten minutes before I approach it closely enough to cut its throat. I don't need it jumping up and running away with me next to or over it, putting me in a video clip that winds up on Tosh.0.

In Utah, it's the discretion of the local conservation what happens to the meat. On one occasion, he gave my family a deer that came from mysterious circumstances.

The only one I ever hit was in my old Landcruiser, I couldn't even tell where it had hit. The one I put down was when a German tourist had hit one and he thought he was in big trouble. I looked at his rental insurance, he had the "You can kill someone and be covered" insurance rider, so I assume he was ok.

 

[SharkHat]

In a reasonable world, you would do the right thing for the animal. This is rapidly becoming an unreasonable world. Me, I'd drive over the animal one more time to finish it off. If you shot it, they might think you're a terrorist. Then again, I live in NY. I think here you're expected to fill out an application for putting an animal out of its misery, attach a $300 check, and let it be processed through the proper channels.

But, to be fair... the deer's application for death permit probably won't have been fully processed either.

 

[Bigphil54]

Once a friend of mine was on the way home and came up on a deer with a broken back so the local police were called to put it down. The city cop showed up and after looking at it for a few minutes put a round through its head, then a fewminutes later shot its jaw off and then decided to call in a shotgun team... it would have been more humane to slash its neck or run over it again because many cops coming out of cities just don't know the basics to killing an animal. If I ever ran into a deer or an animal needed to be put down on the road I would cut its neck if it was not agressive. But that's just because maryland is run by idoit Democrats who think guns are bad.

 

[krupparms]

In the state I live in, It is illegal to kill a deer hit by a vehicle.We are suppose to call L.E. & they cannot shoot it but must let it die on it's own. It is left for A.C.to pick it up. No one can take or use any part.The S.D.has to stand by until deer dies. This is a law that needs to change! I have not run into any yet, but have come upon 3 that were hit by other drivers & all 3 had no idea what to do. Or knew about the law. All 3 were women that were upset that they had injured the deer. I told all 3 about ST. Law & sent them all on there way after I made sure they & and the vehicle were OK. After they left I put the deer down, &left as fast as was safely possable. I don't let them suffer a long draw out death! That is cruel & inhumane! I don't like doing this, but it is the right thing to do! I use a knife as shooting beside the road unless I am out in the country can create more problems!

 

[Owen Sparks]

An old farmer went to court to claim hospital expenses after a neighbors mule walked out in front of his truck and caused a wreck. The
judge said that in the official police report that the farmer had claimed to be unhurt.
The farmer said: “your honor, you don’t understand. When I hit that mule I crashed in the ditch on the right side of the road. The mule ended up in the ditch on the other side of the road. When the policeman showed up he saw that the old mule was hurt pretty bad so he shot it BAM.
He then walked over to me and said ’You hurt bad?’
I said NO SIR, I’M JUST FINE!”

 

[Cuzzin]

Yep - don't know about NH - but a friend here in Texas hit a deer and then finished it with a .380 - he then called game warden who promptly arrived and gave him a citation for taking with illegal firearm.

 

[rcmodel]

It is against the law in Kansas to shoot a road injured game animal.

Even the cops & HP have to call a F&G officer to dispatch the animal and dispose of the body legally.

rc

 

[harrygunner]

Just got back from a trip where two deer were standing in the middle of rural Hwy 93 in northern Nevada with a third resting on the side of the road. It was night, but I was prepared to see one, so I stopped in time.

Got me thinking this same question, along with why do deer stand in the middle of a highway? A few years back, passed one standing in the middle of Hwy 90 in eastern Wyoming in the fog around midnight.

I'm thinking Mommy Deerest is teaching the wrong lesson.

 

[JohnBT]

Virginia requires you to report a hit deer to the game warden or the local police. The site say nothing about putting one down. Shooting on the road right of way is against the law. But you get to keep it, after you report it and it's seen by the officer.

 

[Coyote3855]

I don't know why the middle of the road. Here on the high desert, forage is often much better in the right of way than on the prairie the other side of the fence. The ROW isn't grazed by livestock and the grasses there benefit from rain runoff from the pavement. Those conditions draw deer and antelope.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

This happened to a buddy of mine on his way to deer camp. He called Game and Fish and they told him to shoot it. Don't know if all of them would have said that or if he just got a certain individual who didn't want to deal with it, but he shot it and it was camp meat the next day.

 

[NG VI]

BeerSleeper. That was brilliant. I never thought of the justification that the animal might get back up and wander into traffic, endangering others. That's smart thinking. Here in NY, that would at least get the charges reduced or dropped afterwards. But by then your guns would be gone. But it really is the best justification I've heard yet.

It's not a 'brilliant' justification, he's not coming up with excuses to shoot animals.

It is a very realistic concern though, animals don't have the mental conditioning to lie down and wait for help or death like people do, so they very well might try to wander off and cause even more trouble.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If I hit a deer or other large animal, the first call I will be making is to my insurance company. If my car is damaged so as to be undrivable, I also have road service as part of my policy. Then I will call the LEOs. This is what they are paid, via my taxes, to do. I can think of no circumstances where I would take matters into my own hands and try to put the animal down myself. Getting myself hurt, making the animal's suffering worse or breaking the law are all very likely outcomes.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

The one I put down was when a German tourist had hit one and he thought he was in big trouble. I looked at his rental insurance, he had the "You can kill someone and be covered" insurance rider, so I assume he was ok.

You know, if you scan the above too quickly it looks like, "I put down a German Tourist."

 

[Rev. Chad]

Judging by some of the replys here about the various state laws, you almost get the idea the goverment thinks we would intentionaly hit an aniaml with our car just to be able to shoot it and take home the meat. I never can figure aout the meantality of the people that make the regulations on game animals.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

Judging by some of the replys here about the various state laws, you almost get the idea the goverment thinks we would intentionaly hit an aniaml with our car just to be able to shoot it and take home the meat. I never can figure aout the meantality of the people that make the regulations on game animals.

The +1 Talisman of Deer Impact Immunity was said to be a standard feature on all automobiles sold after 1990, however, it was recalled for its astonishingly poor real-world performance. Most state F&G haven't gotten the recall notice...

 

[Rowdy1]

When I was 16 I lived in the country and someone hit a deer at the end of my driveway. It was suffering in the ditch so I ran to my house grabbed my gun. I was pulling my loaded uncased SKS with 30rd magazine out of car when deputy rolls up. He just looked at me funny and asked me to put rifle back in car. Then he proceeded to body shoot it 5 times.

 

[redbullitt]

I have shot 3 that were hit. None were hit by me mind you, but they were all thrashing around pretty bad on or beside the road. Used a 22 rifle. Never really thought about any issues. Just seemed like it was bad to leave something thrashing around in traffic. Cops usually take 20-30 mins out there.

A bat could have worked just as well in less firearm friendly places I would think. Maybe a knife attached to a stick, you know a spear to open the throat? The ones I saw were pretty unpredictable and those hooves can do damage, so I'd like a bit of space between me and them.

That said, I don't think I could leave the animal in that state. If nothing else it is a danger to other cars coming by. If it were not thrashing about, then I could see waiting for the cops if you are worried about dispatching it for legal reasons.

 

[TNboy]

A few years ago was on my motorcycle in a remote area. I car was coming at me and I saw the deer run in front of it and got hit. We were a pretty good ways from town and I didn't even have a cell signal. I had my carry gun in my tank bagged and dispatched the deer. It was in bad shape and thrashing around in the ditch pretty bad. Had I been in my truck I would have taken it home and eaten it. I don't know what the police would have said, I just did what I thought was right.

 

[blindhari]

Brother in law has a tow service up on Mogollon Rim in Az. When I am up there I ride along at night. Some of the DPS calls are pretty bad. If it is a private call for tow and an animal is hit he must call for officer to dispatch injured animal. Worst part for me is a headon or tree hit on mountain roads. After vehicles are loaded road must be swept, cleared of all debris. For me it can bring back days in the Army. I really don't think he gets paid enough for what he does.

blindhari