What is the quickest, most humane way to despatch a wounded deer with a knife?

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Before everyone tells me that this shouldn't be done, I ask this because I was following a discussion on a French forum on this topic, albeit a different angle. As many of you know, it's quite common on the continent to despatch wounded deer or boar with a knife, dagger or even a spear, especially on driven hunts. It made me think that I'm not sure what the best way to do that would be. I could finish off the poor creature, but I'm not confident that I'd be using the most humane method, especially as we don't usually carry the sorts of daggers designed for the purpose. It strikes me as a thing we should know in case for whatever reason, a bullet isn't available.

There you go, a controversial question on a Thursday night for you.
 
Im no expert but if it hasn't got antlers get your hand under its chin and pull its head back and cut through to its spine cutting both carotid arteries. (halal style)

if it has antlers I would stand on its neck to stop it waving its points in your direction and do the same.

Another technique is to come from behind and stab between the atlas and axis vertebrae to paralyse it which is what I've seen a stalker do.
 
Depends on the knife and the skill of the person using it! The most accessible artery is the carotid but you still have to wait for the animal to bleed out. I alway practice putting a knife into the atlas joint on a dead deer before I take the head off. I used this method once but quickly followed by severing the carotid as I wasn't confident it was enough on its own. If we are good stalkers its not something we get much practice at especially as a second bullet is normally preferable to going in with a knife. Its never a nice way to finish a job.
 
I do not know what the quickest or most humane way is. I have however witnessed the despatch of a Roe doe with a knife after it had been brought down by dogs. Unplanned I hasten to add.

The knife point was pushed through the throat from the side, just below the back of the jaw, with its cutting edge outward, then the blade was brought forward and cut through everything. The animal bled out very fast and was dead in seconds.

The knife wielder was a retired butcher and had worked in a slaughter house during his career.

Alan
 
I would want to make very clear to any novice reading this thread. The atlas joint is not an option. It is not easy to find without practice especially when the adrenaline is pumping. If the knife is the only option it is best to make a quick risk assessment and go for the carotid by sticking a sharp knife through the neck just in front of the spine and cutting outwards. This way you avoid the resistance of all the fur.
 
a human will go unconscious within 3 seconds when blood supply is stopped from getting to the brain (i.e. carotids cut) so I'm guessing deer will be similar.
 
I do not know what the quickest or most humane way is. I have however witnessed the despatch of a Roe doe with a knife after it had been brought down by dogs. Unplanned I hasten to add.

The knife point was pushed through the throat from the side, just below the back of the jaw, with its cutting edge outward, then the blade was brought forward and cut through everything. The animal bled out very fast and was dead in seconds.

The knife wielder was a retired butcher and had worked in a slaughter house during his career.

Alan

+1 Beat me to it.

Although it still can take a minute.
 
Hi, best option would still be to stun it somehow rendering it unconscious first. captive bolt or some nice big log would do the job and then cut and bleed pith or whatever you can to finish it. if you just cut the neck with the jugular veins and carotid arteries the animal will bleed out and die...eventually. this however can take a considerable amount of time(I have watched plenty done in the abattoirs and it is far from a few seconds) even if done properly and is definitely painful (not to mention unpleasant for everyone involved). if you need to do a jugular cut make sure your knife is long and sharp enough as just hacking away will result in a dangerous struggle with the animal.
 
I would want to make very clear to any novice reading this thread. The atlas joint is not an option. It is not easy to find without practice especially when the adrenaline is pumping. If the knife is the only option it is best to make a quick risk assessment and go for the carotid by sticking a sharp knife through the neck just in front of the spine and cutting outwards. This way you avoid the resistance of all the fur.


I would agree with this by far this is my preferred method fortunatly Ive only had to do this on a couple of occasions to dispatch deer after rta,s when not able to use a rifle because of location they bleed out very quickly just watch out for those antlers if they have any and their legs kicking out
 
Depends on the knife and the skill of the person using it! The most accessible artery is the carotid but you still have to wait for the animal to bleed out. I alway practice putting a knife into the atlas joint on a dead deer before I take the head off. I used this method once but quickly followed by severing the carotid as I wasn't confident it was enough on its own. If we are good stalkers its not something we get much practice at especially as a second bullet is normally preferable to going in with a knife. Its never a nice way to finish a job.

+1. I may also use my coat to cover the animals eyes/head dependant upon the situation and species.
 
Someone told me recently that you can, on smaller beasts, stab it in the top of the skull between and just back from the eyes. Sounds a bit dodgy to me, although I'd imagine very effective with the correct heavy bladed knife?
 
Someone told me recently that you can, on smaller beasts, stab it in the top of the skull between and just back from the eyes. Sounds a bit dodgy to me, although I'd imagine very effective with the correct heavy bladed knife?
Very dodgy. This is ineffective and inappropriate. The outward carotid cut at the angle of the jaw is probably the most accessible area. Thoracic inlet may not be as effective at cutting supply to the brain. Rendering unconscious with a 2lb ball pein hammer is potentially useful. Atlas cut is rapid, but hard to get.
 
I would question quite strongly how wise it is to hit anything over the head with a log in the hope that you will stun it
 
I would want to make very clear to any novice reading this thread. The atlas joint is not an option. It is not easy to find without practice especially when the adrenaline is pumping. If the knife is the only option it is best to make a quick risk assessment and go for the carotid by sticking a sharp knife through the neck just in front of the spine and cutting outwards. This way you avoid the resistance of all the fur.

+1 this way the animal will bleed out very quickly and be unconscious in seconds.The knife must be sharp and cut in one fluent motion.

Regards kev
 
Although the above methods are very effective, does anyone use a knife to the heart? Not seen it mentioned yet. This is the way I was shown to do it from an early age but I am only shooting roe where u could easily get a 4-6" blade to cleanly puncture it. Assume it would be harder with the bigger species. Luckily I have not been in the position to have to finish off a wounded animal much at all and the ones I have were fairly immobile.

As far as the atlas joint is concerned, I practised on dead deer quite a lot before I ever tried it. I will hold my hands up and say I tried it last year on an old roe buck which was still conscious but immobile. I only had a locking blade knife. When I attempted the cut I missed and hit bone. I moved slightly and then got the whole blade in the right spot after the knife had unlocked itself (probably because I was gripping the handle so hard and squeezing the opening trigger) and I nearly shut it on my fingers. now having never tried it before I was expecting death to be pretty much immediate but after 30 seconds to a minute I still had eye reaction. I aborted that and went the heart method that I'm used to which did the trick in about 10 seconds.

I am pretty sure what I did was the correct method for the atlas joint but until I see someone else do it well, I won't be using that method again (and hopefully won't have to). Probably my inexperience with it but not sure how I could have done it any different except for having a fixed blade. After butchering I had a look and the head was nearly severed from where I had worked the knife and spinal cord was severed. What did I do wrong and what is the expected time to death using this method?

Don't want to put people off but I thought I should share that experience since it doesn't always go to plan.
 
I would want to make very clear to any novice reading this thread. The atlas joint is not an option. It is not easy to find without practice especially when the adrenaline is pumping.

And when/if you do find it make sure you don’t deploy a folding knife as you may end up losing one or more fingers.
K
Ps: This was not a dig at ChrisWill184 as posted before I had seen his honest reply. The exact same thing happened to me on a fallow and it prompted me to sell my Lonewolf Harsey T3.
 
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Although the above methods are very effective, does anyone use a knife to the heart? Not seen it mentioned yet. This is the way I was shown to do it from an early age but I am only shooting roe where u could easily get a 4-6" blade to cleanly puncture it.

You may well puncture it, but the knife blade will make a small wound and loss of consciousness will be slower than the carotid. If you could guarantee to slice through the aorta as it leaves the heart, maybe, but there's too much margin of error. PM asked for the most humane way with a knife. It's less than ideal, but the carotid cut is probably the best.
 
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