Strange Hunting Yesterday---

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AKElroy

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All season I have been visited at my stand by a poorly little 8 point Hill Country Whitetail, maybe 110 lbs. The entire rack is inside his ears, so I did not want to take him. Having been visited by him at least 10 times, he was becoming an expected part of my time in the stand.

Fast forward to 4:58pm yesterday. There he was, eating directly under the feeder. At 5pm, that feeder starts throwing corn, and over the fense he goes. Unfortunately, in his panic, he hangs a front leg on the fence & runs off on 3 legs, obviously injured.

I REALLY do not want to waist a tag on this little deer as he is my last buck, so I am watching to see if he can shake it off. Nope. He stumbles another 100 or so yards (feeder is already 114 from the stand, so he is a shade over 200yds from me and heading for impossibly thick cover), falling several times, and is nearly out of comfortable range of my .30-30. He is stumbling erratically, so I aimed toward the front & hoped the bullet would not strike too far back. The 170gr corelokd dropped him, hitting just behind the shoulder for a through and through.

His leg bone was snapped clean below the shoulder from the fence tangle, as floppy as his tail; no way he was recovering from that. Oh well, the little ones are good eating; he field dressed 85lbs---Glad the 10 year old was there at least, maybe he learned something.
 
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It could be worse. I haven't filled a deer tag in a few years, mainly because I don't draw one every year, but also because I muffed my chances last time I had a tag and a deer in range. At least you have some meat today; I envy you! :eek:
 
My hat is off to you Roy. Most "rack hunters" would have let the poor thing go off and die a miserable, suffering, uncalled for death. You did exactly what any GOOD sportsman should do and put an animal down that would have had a lingering death.
 
With the drought, our deer are really poor this year. Last year, I had a choice of several really decent animals that would have looked right at home on the wall. This year, I have seen only one such animal on film at my pen, and I was hoping to get him. Truth be told though, this little guy is about as good as I was likely to see. Still, I would have like for him to get another year to sprout, I'm guessing he is 3ish, just a bit of sway to the back.
 
Most "rack hunters" would have let the poor thing go off and die
Man, I hope that's not the case. As far as rack hunters, they are pretty much out of luck in the hill country unless they hunt game-managed, high fenced property. My lease is all-natural, drought inflicted, pig-overrun scrub country.
 
When bow hunting many years ago I came across a little doe tangled up in a barb wire fence. She was in bad shape but still alive. Front leg was fractured at the joint and was hanging by a thread. My partner and I looked at her, then at each other and silently agreed.

I finished her quickly and mercifully with my knife and we added her to my tag. No way I would let any animal suffer, and I didn't mind using my only antlerless tag.

Ron in Texas
 
You did right today. I am glad your son was along to see a sportsman and how things should be handled.
 
My hat is off to you Roy. Most "rack hunters" would have let the poor thing go off and die a miserable, suffering, uncalled for death. You did exactly what any GOOD sportsman should do and put an animal down that would have had a lingering death.

I completely agree. You did the right thing and it sounds like you will be rewarded with some tasty meat.
 
It's a good thing you did.
My question is what would happen if you came across a terminally wounded deer out of season or when your tagged was filled. Is there any way to put the animal down without getting in trouble with the Game Warden?
Just curious as I am not a hunter.
 
Mals9, unfortunately no not legally. The only recourse one has is to call your local animal control or game warden and tell them the area that the injured animal was spotted in. I hate it more than anything just about but if you take it upon yourself to drop the animal without legal permission (sometimes the game wardens will go ahead and ask you to dispatch the animal) then you risk some heavy duty fines and the loss of your hunting license.
 
I've always wanted a nice, small rack for a Jackalope mount- that looks like a trophy 'lope to me! :D

Good call on the shoot, btw.
 
We have had a couple of three legged deer around here over the years. They got around surprisingly well. One buck's front leg had turned backwards and had a big callous on it where he put his weight on it occassionally. Car most likely.

But, that was before the coyotes came in here. I don't know whether they could survive now or not.
 
White-tail are an amazingly resilient animal. But it is kind of according to the amount of predators and time of year as to weather that animal will survive. This time of year, in the midwestern and northern states, a deer would be really hard pressed to survive a serious injury to one of it's legs. Early fall and late summer, they have time to heal up some and still have abundant food supply before harsh winter temps and dwindling food sources. In Texas, where the OP is, yotes would have been on that deer in no time.
 
In Texas, where the OP is, yotes would have been on that deer in no time.

This is my 4th year on this property, and I hear coyotes every night I am there. Had them not 200 yrds from my stand last week when they got a rabbit just before sunrise. That was some seriously disturbing noise.
 
Had them not 200 yrds from my stand last week when they got a rabbit just before sunrise. That was some seriously disturbing noise

You should hear them when a pair get on a fawn. Would make the hardest hunter on the planet want to cry. It's disturbing to say the least.
 
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