Accident while hunting :(

[bc_buckshot]

This morning I left a 4am to reg 8 to take my little brother hunting for his first hunt this year. I'm already 2 deer up on him and want him to bag a deer. Around 530am while driving through the park, the snow decided to dump I I lowered my speed beacause it became -4 and ice grew on the road. Back of my mind is I have the quad in the back, the weight, stopping quick, or sliding would end the hunt fast. Speed limit said 100 so I turned it down to 80. Came around a corner and there was two mule does licking the salt off the road. Haven't seen someone behind the whole time so I stop and threw on the hazards and slowly drove closer. I finally came 40 yards to the deer and they didn't move. I drove up to roughly 10 yards and stopped. Quickly thought about the lights and turned the off the put them back on. One of the deer walked away slowly to the bank, the stayed still and kept licking the road. I creeped a little closer, put it in neutral and rev the engine to scare it. No movement. Single lane both ways on a corner didn't want to risk it. I stopped and honked the horn in front of the deer and this is what happend. Deer popped up on all four, landed, tried to run on the road being full of ice. Fell and did the splits in the back and when it tried to get up the right leg broke at the leg joint above the tenden. I clearly saw it happen and was still stopped. I believe it broke at the pelvis and then leg. It layed the on its side trying to get up. We were both shocked, didn't mean for it to happen I was stuck what to do. As a farmer with animals I never want to see one suffer. I wanted to get out with my knife and finish it and report it but back of my mind if someone did drive by and report a guy on the road, with a knife, holding or dragging a deer to the side doesn't sound right. The deer was screaming and I thought about putting a rope around the neck and drag it to the side and leave it there so it didn't get hit or someone hurt but what if doing a good thing I get kicked and serious hurt still doesn't sound right.So I drove past it and that time it crawled to the side of the bank. Didn't know what to do. After thinking nothing I can do, I feel I didn't chase or purposely didn't want to harm it, I just drove off. I still feel bad but know its nature. I didn't call it in because I have a strong feeling the C.O isn't gonna go out of their way finding a deer injured in the bush that might, might not have a chance. There isn't houses or people for Km's that are gonna run into it. I don't know if anyone has been in this before. There's a lot of if and but you could of done but I think I did the best I could of done. I'm asking you guys maybe for reinsurance. On the way home I knew roughly where it happend and I tried to look for it to see if it was there or not and didn't see anything.

[troutseeker]

Dont sweat it, the coyotes/ wolves will have a feast. Shit happens...

[Glassman]

I would use my phone or camera and take video of it not moving or trying to move. Then I would have dispatched it in a quick and ethical manner. Then gut it. If anyone comes by tell them what happened and show video of it in pain and not moving. I would tell person to take my name, drivers license #, etc... and I would also take down their info and tell them I may have to use them as a witness if thats alright. Then phone CO office and tell them what I did or leave a message. Then phone police and get them to make a report over the phone. The more documentation you have the better. Then take doe to hang. CO can then decide which food bank should get meat.
Thats what I would do. It may, or may not, be the proper legal way of doing things but non-the-less thats what I would do. If CO wants to fine me I would take to court. I can't imagine a reasonable CO would even fine a person.

[Dirty30-30]

Its not like it was intentionaly done, not much different than hitting a deer with your truck. End its suffering, take it home and eat it...

[Mr. Dean]

If you're good about your actions, so am I.


If it were me, I woulda shot it (not knifed it), prep'd the carcass and asked the CO where they wanted it dropped off.

[bc_buckshot]

Thanks guys..... I don't know if it was okay to touch or my job to put down so played it safe and let natures do it thing. Part of me says should of put it down. But gonna call the C.O later on and just let him know and ask him what would of he liked done. And if I just missed an easy meat deer well that's a part of the game.

[boxhitch]

IMO you did right. Shite happens, nature takes its course. Interferring would just mess up more of your day. Thousands of critters are hit every year , no one messes with them.
Having a dead critter with no cut tag would only set you up for a heap of angst.

Hope the rest of the day went well ?

[BCHunterTV]

I saw a deer that was just hit in Chilliwack at 6am 3 years back, i too wanted to put it down...and the driver that hit it was in full melt down feeling sorry for the pain it was in and the fact its lower jaw was dangling...

I took video of the animal and told my daughter to go and sit in the truck while i put him down with a knife ..just after saying that police showed up and ended up shooting it with a shotgun

[Ruger4]

end the suffering..............same thing you'd do on your farm ?

[bc_buckshot]

IMO you did right. Shite happens, nature takes its course. Interferring would just mess up more of your day. Thousands of critters are hit every year , no one messes with them.
Having a dead critter with no cut tag would only set you up for a heap of angst.

Hope the rest of the day went well ?

No actually day went downhill from there. Got to our spot at 6:30. All fine and dandy. Unloaded the bike and was slowly cruising to the area I wanted to look at. It was. Hour drive and the clouds just got dark and it start to dump of snow. Wind picked up and came towards me restricting my vision driving the bike not only preventing me looking for deer. A monster buck could if been 15 yards from me and I wouldn't known. Went back the truck waited it out till noon. At the end of the day sun came out and we saw 11 does in the spans if 1 hour. But no bucks

[boxhitch]

Hope you had a big Thermos of something going.
Sometimes a little storm like that can get critters moving after.

[bc_buckshot]

Hope you had a big Thermos of something going.
Sometimes a little storm like that can get critters moving after.

10-4 I sure did. The Stanley thermos kept the coffee nice and hot. Ad your right after the snow clouds blew over that's when we saw all 11 does out eatting or in the flats.

[bearhunter338-06]

I think you did the right thing with the dear. To take and shoot it on the side of the road or touch it in any way could end you up in a heap of trouble. A friend of mine got a huge fine for picking up a dead deer on the side of the road to feed his dogs. I feel sorry for the deer suffering but the other end of the stick ant good ether. Just my honest opinion.

[Ltbullken]

I would have shot the animal and called the CO.

[hunterdon]

I've experienced several similar occasions first hand. 3 to be exact. All 3 were hit by other drivers, and were still alive and suffering. I phoned on 2 of the cases, (the police on 1 and managed to speak with the c.o. in the other). One case the police arrived on the scene.

1-The first case involved a whitetail buck. The police had just arrived on the scene moments before I did. He was very reasonable. He dispatched the deer and asked if someone could retrieve the meat rather than let it spoil. Of course I volunteered. He let me have it. I retrieved the animal and processed it, and gave it to some elderly people who could use the meat. I had enough of my own.

2-The second case involved a moose which apparently was previously called in 2 weeks prior to my call, to the c.o. It was hit by a snowplow truck 2 weeks earlier. It's front left leg was completely broken at the shoulder and was just being dragged as it walked. Not a pretty site. I spoke with the c.o. and he would not let me have the moose. I argued that the animal should not suffer needlessly any further, and that I would be willing to dispatch it to end the suffering. He then suggested that I dispatch it and retrieve the meat, process it and donate it to the salvation army. He also said that I could keep a smaller portion of meat for my efforts. I dispatch the animal, processed the meat and gave all of it to the salvation army. A lot of work! But at least my conscience felt much better.

3-The third case happened just last year. It involved a mule deer buck. I tried to get in contact with the c.o., but he could not be reached. I did call the rcmp. That turned out to be a real fiasco. My call was transferred several times. I found myself at times to be on the defensive. Not directly being accused of foul play, but hinted in that direction. After a longgggg dialogue, the final officer would not allow the meat to be retrieved on any circumstances, and only after a lengthy dialogue, I was able to convince him to allow me to dispatch the animal, in order to end the suffering.

So, I write this only to say that one needs to proceed with caution when faced with these circumstances. For most of us, we don't want to see any animal suffer needlessly, and we don't like to see good meat go to waste. Although, my experience has been that you'll only be able to retrieve a certain portion of the meat anyway, depending upon the severity of the injuries. It's one of those things that definitely falls into a grey area, and when that happens, it's individuals, (police and c.co.s) that makes that call. The bottom line is you have to make sure you're on the upside of the law, and that YOU are protected, or it's not worth the trouble.

[anglo-saxon]

A tough situtaion and a tough call. You didn't do anything wrong. I think if it had been me, I would prob have removed the deer to the ditch and parked in a safe place, then cut its throat to help it on its way. But hey, I wasn't there and you never know what you'll do until the situation ptresents itself.

[whitlers]

I would have dispatched her and layed her in the ditch then on my way. Video proof would be a good idea.

[She Shark]

If you hadn't tried to scare her off the road she would have probably ended up getting hit by (and possibly injuring) a car full of people. I am glad for this thread - good suggestions for if/when it does happen.