Moral question !

tom

Well-Known Member
Morning , interested on people's view of this scenario I had this morning ,
there is an outcome as I took a decision but I want to see what other people would have done out of interest !

ok sat in a high seat this morning an average six point roe buck and doe are about 250 yards away ,
i am sat on a new re stock which has been having a lot of attention by the deer and I am employed to protect the new crop .
I notice the doe is carrying a very bad limp but otherwise is alert and feeding ,
i have time to decide what I am going to do as they are coming closer in to range .
The doe is not pregnant and as she gets closer appears to be really struggling with front left leg .
What would you have done ?????
All the best
Tom
 
Shot both of them if need be. If the doe was ill them why prolong the suffering.
But with out being there and seeing the beast then its only a guess.
And not forgetting the crop protection.
 
Definitely shot the doe then buck if possible. Would have taken me a nano second to come up with this decision at this time of year. After the middle of May then I would have had to leave her just in case a fawn had been dropped though.
 
Has anybody been watching a Year in the wild? If not there has been a roe doe filmed all year with quite a bad limp/injured front leg, she rears 2 kids and looks ok. So despite her injury she prospered.

So just because there appears to be an injury is this sufficient reason to cull?

If they are doing significant tree damage that might be a reason to cull.

How do you know she is not pregnant?

D
 
Has anybody been watching a Year in the wild? If not there has been a roe doe filmed all year with quite a bad limp/injured front leg, she rears 2 kids and looks ok. So despite her injury she prospered.

So just because there appears to be an injury is this sufficient reason to cull?

If they are doing significant tree damage that might be a reason to cull.

How do you know she is not pregnant?

D
Chances are she is pregnant. but as said with out seeing the beast NO one can make the decision.

If the injury is bad or infected then yes culling is the only answer. or do you want a beast in pain.
 
If a deer is injured and suffering then it should be humanely dispatched. Only you can decide that level of suffering and it is a difficult decision at times. Whether the deer is pregnant is irrelevant, and in some ways it is better if they are as it ensures you have not orphaned any dependants. Given the circumstances you describe, I would have shot it without a second thought.
MS
 
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Roe can be incredibly resilient even with damaged limbs.

Without seeing the animal it is difficult to say what is best to do. If the doe looked in pain, struggling to move, tongue hanging out, head hanging, thin and emaciated then it is a no brainer, you put the poor animal out of its suffering.

If its well fed, mobile (even with the damaged foreleg), coat is in good nick then spare it....and shoot the buck. You will be likely to see her again over next few weeks and then compare her condition and make that decision.
 
Has anybody been watching a Year in the wild? If not there has been a roe doe filmed all year with quite a bad limp/injured front leg, she rears 2 kids and looks ok. So despite her injury she prospered.

So just because there appears to be an injury is this sufficient reason to cull?

If they are doing significant tree damage that might be a reason to cull.

How do you know she is not pregnant?

D
Being able to rear kids doesn't mean that she's not suffering as she clearly is. We have a moral obligation to end the pain and suffering. They can't euthanize themselves after all. If you can't tell that a roe doe is pregnant at this time of year then you need to get to Spec Savers! Pregnant roe does are really big and have been obviously pregnant for well over a month now! In 5 weeks time the early ones will be giving birth.
 
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Only you could tell the condition.
Lameness is not always caused by an externally visible injury(so not always able to assume that it is healed and improving),it may be a hoof issue or an abscess in the joints etc etc.
I would have shot the Doe and then the Buck if still around.
 
Chances are she is pregnant. .
The OP says that she isn't and as I said in post 14, that means that she isn't. Why would you then state that she probably was? At this time of year determining pregnancy on the hoof is totally obvious!
 
Why not. Giving the fact that most are pregnant at this time of year. then on my behalf it was a wild guess.
Some carrying a single dont show half as much as one with twins.
But yet again with out seeing the beast then NO one can judge the situation.
 
Doe first then the buck, however if this was near calving time then I would have thought twice as dependent young may be left
 
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