RTA deer : tell me I did the right thing !

You have a moral duty and welfare duty. Unnecessary suffering of animal is an offence. If an arv isnt available take the animal into the undergrowth and dispatch it.

Norfolk Deer Search said:

Well that’s a grey area because you can’t discharge firearm on the side of the road unless you’ve got written permission to do so, therefore without a copper being there to cover your arse so speak you’re breaking the law! That’s how I see it anyway.

I would never turn up unless I knew there was going to be a police officer present because

1- they can then find the bloody thing
2- then you know where to stop and do what you have to do

I’ve driven too many bloody miles up and down the road in the early hours of the morning looking for a RTA Deer that’s crawled its way onto the other side of the hedge where you can’t dispatch it because you have no permission to do so not even animal welfare covers you for that!

Click to expand...

Its not illegal to discharge a firearm within 50 feet of a road. It ian offence if it interupts or injures a member of the public. In law the definition of a road covers almost everywhere.

Jeff8861 said:

Its not illegal to discharge a firearm within 50 feet of a road. It ian offence if it interupts or injures a member of the public. In law the definition of a road covers almost everywhere.

Click to expand...

Within 50ft of the centre of the highway is the correct wording, I think
As you say, no offence unless it impacts other road users (I forget the exact wording for that bit).

I wouldn't risk it if I was ever in that situation. I have helped farmers dispatch wounded/sick livestock on private land on a case by case basis but I'm not discharging any firearm in public on public land. I'm sorry but that's just the world the politicians/police have created now. I would inform the police of the situation and ask them to dispatch an ARV.

Some interesting comments here on the guaranteed topic of HAD to cause a stir no matter what the platform

Comments from @Heym SR20 and @12gsnapcaps stand out for me as being very considered/practical and summing up the world with find ourselves in.

As usual, the finer points of legalities get covered which I always find interesting but mantra has be the same as when we are in the field, once you send it for sure it ain't coming back.

The possibility of the knock on your door at silly o'clock, handing officers your gun cab keys followed by the digging out of your shooting insurance to see if you are covered for the long road ahead. We've all seen the posts on here and other channels of those poor stalkers fighting their case to get their guns returned..... and for what? one deer, would you really risk it when all you have to do is call it in? (carriageway scenioros)

You did the right thing.I have been doing RTA/HAD with Lincolnshire deer group and we were told explicitly do not do anything without an incident number. Personally if a family member or friend called me, I would myself ring the co-ordinator on duty at the time and get them to log with Lincs police just to cover my own back. As much as I would want to end the suffering of the animal I would want to be 100% sure I was on the right side of the law while doing it.