Sad Deed Done.

Harry mac

Well-Known Member
Just had to do my first humane dispatch and it's left me feeling a bit sad.One of the lads radioed into the control room that they'd found a muntjac trapped in the fence so I went out to have a look at it and see what could be done. When I got there my eyes beheld a sad scene. It was a youngish doe who had tried sqeezing between the gate and gate post in our perimeter fence. She'd managed to get her head and front end through, but was stuck fast by her waist, her hips being just too wide to pass. As the lads had gone up to her she'd started thrashing around and the gate and gate post had rubbed away the hair and had started to go through the skin. By the time I got there she'd calmed down, but was clearly in shock, shivering and listless. I just happened to have my .22 in the car because I'm going out for a few rabbits after my shift, so one sub-sonic delivered through the top of the head, angled backwards ended her suffering.Shooting her wasn't the problem, but seeing her there trapped, bleeding and scared half to death was sad indeed.Next stop, freezer.One of the lads doesn't know me very well and when I went to put her in the back of my truck he said, "what you gonna do with it?" Eat it says I. His face was a picture. Townies eh?
 
It's genuinely a good thing that you had your rifle in the car whilst you were at work.

Let this be an example to all the prissy do gooders on the other thread, that would have had you drive home to go and get it, extending the deers suffering needlessly.
 
Any idea how long it had been there...... a good deed done, but you might find its not the best of eating due to the stress its gone through:(
 
I'm new to this game and think your actions are admirable. I will not see any animal suffer and have no qualms in despatching such beasts. Question is - can a .22 be legally used in this case?
 
Probably not but who's arsed?... we are talking about an living and breathing animal afterall, and one that's suffering at that ;)
 
was stalking in the new forest some time last year and came across a roe trapped in a fox snare. Snare was fully tight round her neck and she was struggling.. luckily it looked as if it had only been recently trapped.. Jacket over her head and wire cut.. she got up a little surprised at what just happened and then bounded off but before she went into cover she paused and looked back for a few minutes.. in my head i would like to have thought this was a gesture of appreciation... but that is just me be being a softy! lol. After the doe left I noticed a buck in the wheat field not 20 yards away who was watching the whole time..
 
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Let it hang for as long as you can, the meat will need longer than usual to relax due to the adrenalin produced whilst it was struggling to escape, if it's in the freezer already just slice it thinly and use it for repairing boot soles!
 
It is perfectly legal to use a .22 Rimfire for Humane Dispatch,I use them regularly for RTA,s the law allows for this,but stoning,bows,and bashing it with a brick can result in cruelty charges, even the use of a knife requires practice,but again is legal...just be prepared to justify your choice of dispatch if questioned:scared:
 
You can use almost anything, that will result in the immediate, and humane dispatch of an injured animal, ytene is quite correct, in that you may.... have to justify your actions to the RSPCA, If they chose to bring a prosecution, but I very much doubt that this would ever occur
 
Si, most deer RTA,s are dealt with by shotgun,410 is very effective,.22 with mod is discreet regarding noise, I also take and have used my.32 revolver if the deer is inaccessible for a long arm,and the backstop is safe..having said that I have never had a .32 bullet exit the animal if a brainstem shot is taken....
 
That's one hell of a wasp's nest you just kicked

Not at all mate, perfectly legal to use any means which is 'humane'. Gone are the days when it has to be a 'legal' deer calibre thankfully. I normally use a moderated folding .410 as my preferred weapon of choice. A ball pein hammer is also very effective if administered to the centre of the forehead and can be carried in the car legally at all times.!;)
As for eating it, i've never noticed any difference eating stressed deer whatsoever. It certainly affects the meat quality of domestic livestock, but I think deer spend so much of there lives on 'high alert' if not running scared that it seems to make no difference.
Good result Harry.
MS:)
 
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