Despatching wounded animals hit by cars

[Wodan94]

Recently I was in a situation where I came across a fallow which had been hit by a car and had it's back broken and would not survive and clearly was in incredible pain. I called the relevant authorities and they said it would be a few hours before a vet would be able to get there to humanely put it down, so if I felt comfortable in dispatching the beast, I could go ahead.

I had no weapons on me other than a hefty hunting knife, so my only option was to slit it's throat. It went well and the animal bled out quickly. Upon research into my method, it seems there are two schools of thought.

1) that my method was halal and the animal would have passed out within seconds and thus would have felt little pain.

2) that halal slaughter is ******** and the animal would not have passed out, thus leaving it in considerable pain. (Having said that, even those who say this agree that it was still more humane than leaving it suffering for hours until a vet (possibly) arrived to put it down.)

So, does anyone have any further thoughts on a) if halal slaughter is humane and thus the animal didnt feel too much or b) does anyone have a better way of despatching a wounded deer or other large animal (im thinking badger, boar, perhaps fox) without a firearm?

​Cheers, James

 

[bogtrotter]

James, a knife may be used for humane dispatch but the law says care and skill must be displayed as a charge of causing unnecessary suffering could be brought by a clumsy or inexpert attempt.

Personally see no problem in using a knife but would be wary of doing so if members of the public were in attendance a bystanders idea of what is unnecessary suffering and what is fact may be entirely different.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I too have been similarly reprimanded for taking a large knife to the Atlas bone of an RTA fallow. The method of dispatch demonstrated to me by an FCS Ranger back in 1982.

Not by the Police I hasn’t to add but a Bushcraft Forum!

K

 

[Wodan94]

Yeah i spoke to the police before i did anything, it was them that said i should do it myself unless i felt incompetent, as their vet would take a few hours.

Glad you guys agree with me! I shall use that method in future then, unless I have a gun handy. Yeah I got everyone to disperse before I did it cause i knew there would be issues if I didnt, and afterwards the lady who had hit it came up to me and gave me a hug and thanked me for putting it out of its pain, which was nice. Although she didnt deal with it herself, at least she didnt just drive off and leave it!

The only issue was a yuppie lady who drove past in her softop mercedes and seemed somewhat disgusted at the concept that her tyres may have got blood on them!

Cheers guys

​James

 

[Adam f]

Did you take the carcase away?

Im no expert but I thibk you'll find using a gun is pretty much a no-no anyway.

I guess you'd have to carry the beast 50m from the public highway, get permission on the land, check and get it cleared for your legal deer calibre - which rules out shotgun etc.

I'm being slightly facetious, as I live rurally and a couple of times each year come across deer rta's on the commute back from work - usually in the winter with early dark nights.

I think you did right, and I always carry a legal sharp knife in the car (my leatherman) for this purpose.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Did you take the carcase away?

Im no expert but I thibk you'll find using a gun is pretty much a no-no anyway.

I guess you'd have to carry the beast 50m from the public highway, get permission on the land, check and get it cleared for your legal deer calibre - which rules out shotgun etc.

I'm being slightly facetious, as I live rurally and a couple of times each year come across deer rta's on the commute back from work - usually in the winter with early dark nights.

I think you did right, and I always carry a legal sharp knife in the car (my leatherman) for this purpose.

Your Leatherman has the locks deactivated on the two blades??

 

[Wodan94]

Aye i took the carcase, gralloched it on site, stuck it in the boot and got it home. Got a freezer full of venison, a nice tanned rug and a good set of antlers on the wall! First time i'd ever done it myself, had previously only watched it done by a keeper so was a good learning experience!

Interesting thought about using the gun, hadn't considered it! I guess it was fortunate I didn't have any guns on me at the time!

 

[EMcC]

Did you take the carcase away?

Im no expert but I thibk you'll find using a gun is pretty much a no-no anyway.
I guess you'd have to carry the beast 50m from the public highway, get permission on the land, check and get it cleared for your legal deer calibre - which rules out shotgun etc. .

What on earth are you talking about, the gun is the best method for humane despatch be it a rifle or shotgun.
What is all this 'carrying 50m from the highway and getting permission on the land'
If the police are in attendance then they can give you authority to shoot on the highway.
I think this subject has been discussed at length on another thread under the title of attending RTAs.

 

[Bomag]

Did you take the carcase away?

Im no expert but I thibk you'll find using a gun is pretty much a no-no anyway.

I guess you'd have to carry the beast 50m from the public highway, get permission on the land, check and get it cleared for your legal deer calibre - which rules out shotgun etc.

I'm being slightly facetious, as I live rurally and a couple of times each year come across deer rta's on the commute back from work - usually in the winter with early dark nights.

I think you did right, and I always carry a legal sharp knife in the car (my leatherman) for this purpose.

Why? The legal requirement distance when shooting beside a road/RoW is only if it causes a disturbance or distress to other users. When the law was introduced it was aimed at horses and horse drawn carriages.

 

[perdix]

Done this many times(I was asked to be on call by the police) and there are no problems using a firearm or even shotgun to dispatch a road casualty deer.
My mate has recently been called to do just that on a major dual carriage way and had the traffic stopped whilst he did the deed .He has since been granted a pistol for this very purpose

 

[Rack]

You may not discharge a firearm within 50 feet of the centre of the highway, if in consequence a user of the highway is injured, interrupted or endangered.

For the purposes of Section 161 of the Highway Act 1980 a highway is restricted to a public right of way for the passage of vehicles and does not include footpaths, cycle paths or bridleways.

 

[Sharpie]

Just read the Best Practice guides, where it is all explained.

http://bestpracticeguides.org.uk/culling/humane-dispatch

[URL="http://bestpracticeguides.org.uk/culling/humane-dispatch2"]http://bestpracticeguides.org.uk/culling/humane-dispatch2

[URL]http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/127.pdf[/URL][/URL]

 

[Buchan]

Without a firearm your choices are either a cut across the angle of the jaw, cutting into the thoracic inlet, or into the atlas joint. Neither are ideal. However, you've done the right thing and the short period of pain/distress is justified compared to the longer pain of leaving the animal until the vet arrived. It's not halal/schechita although the principle of a single cut is the same. Deer have a small blood supply to the brian through the vertebral arteries that cannot be cut, but this is not likely to be significant.

For a biting animal like a fox or badger, I'd be finding something hard and heavy to hit it with first rather than get bitten.

 

[Wodan94]

Like the real wheels of my car

 

[limulus]

This has been discussed several times.
A lengthy discussion was had by Mo and myself sometime ago with particular emphasis on the halal side of things...I think the thread was deleted

Halal has nothing to do with dispatching an RTA deer.
Where was 'bismillah' then aloa akbar aloa akbar aloa akbar said (forgive my sphcelling)?
The cut is also done in a very specific manner.

Listen to what the vets on here say and those that have a great deal of experience in these matters.
Gun first....knife last.

 

[Conor1]

Last Summer, a friend of mine was involved in a collision with a young Roe Buck. The car was occupied by several females, all of whom had been drinking. One of the ladies called a man whom they knew had guns at home. The man attended the scene having brought a Glock 17. As he approached the beast, who was being cradled by one of the ladies, the man inserted the magazine into the pistol, pulled back the slide and asked the lady to step aside. With that, the animal jumped to its feet and bolted.

The following morning, the man recounted the story to his gun dealer. The Zurich gun dealer told the man that the only person who can dispatch the deer is the hunter who is responsible for that reveir. So in Switzerland, the rule is simple, if you are involved in a collision with an animal, call the police. Under no circumstances, attempt to dispatch the animal yourself, especially not with a knife as the consequences will be severe. However, we can own pistols, SLRs, and fully automatic machine guns, just don't ever dispatch an injured animal!

 

[Selous]

My recollection of discussing the pain caused by halal slaughter was largely if the freshly cut tissues were allowed to touch. Consequently I seem to recall special crushes are used to gradually elevate the head to open the wound and help prevent the wound edges touching. Presumably would aid bleeding out too. Personally I only use a bladed weapon if there is no firearm available. Blunt trauma could also work well but you must be physically and mentally capable.

 

[Apache]

In this crazy country you cannot have a knife in your car, but you can have a captive bolt.

I've been called a number of times to dispatch deer. Cutting the head of a sentient being with a life is the very, very bottom of my list.

If moribund and no antlers I will use the captive bolt. Preference being a shotgun. Any calibre any cartridge. My choice is the .410. Would like a nice moderated one.

Next preference is moderated .22rf. Quiet and very effective. Never had one exit.

Then the handgun. We have .32 cal.

After that I'd chose a CF rifle. Being mindful of the danger of what you are doing at close range, sight along the barrel (NOT through the scope). Ensure on soft ground - not the road.

Then, and only then would I look at other means.

Did the police actually contact a vet, or did they try to fob you off? I'm sure there must lots of vets who could have been there is much less than 2 hours. I've never taken more than 20 or 30 minutes. Lots of vets close to York.

The LAW re road shooting is in my signature. The police cannot magically give you permission to shoot. The carcase does not belong to you. I'm pretty sure with these dispatch jobs we are technically committing armed trespass, but it would never be in the public interest to prosecute.

 

[countrryboy]

Not going to mention best way as has been covered very well by others, i often come across injured poached/fenced deer at work and use me penknife in a similar manor to u to PTS as all i've got and more humane than leaving but i'm usually in middle off nowhere too.

Aye i took the carcase, gralloched it on site, stuck it in the boot and got it home. Got a freezer full of venison, a nice tanned rug and a good set of antlers on the wall! First time i'd ever done it myself, had previously only watched it done by a keeper so was a good learning experience!


Surprised no one else picked up on this, but strictly speaking u have committed theft as u removed the carcass, basically a dead deer belongs to who evers ground it was lying on when dead wether council if on the road or landowner/stalking tennant if on the road side. Strictly speaking u should have there permission to remove the deer, i doubt anyone would ever bother but just so u know

 

[Si]

I guess you'd have to carry the beast 50m from the public highway

I think if you check the guidlines again you'll find it's 50ft not mtrs