Is it legal or ethical to dispatch wounded game with a knife?

[2damnold4this]

Is it legal or ethical to dispatch wounded game with a knife? Can we use legally carried firearm during bow season to dispatch an animal with a mortal wound? What about a rock or other improvised weapon? Can we wring the neck of an injured dove or are we obliged to shoot it again with a shotgun to end its suffering? Are we poachers if we use any weapon or method to dispatch a game animal that isn't in our state's list of approved hunting equipment?

 

[SHNOMIDO]

Ethical? in my humble opinion anything that ends the animals suffering ASAP is pure ethical treatment.

I'm under the impression its common practice to ring the neck of small game that hasn't gone to small game heaven yet. Rabbits, birds, etc. I dont know about any laws on the books about this, but i thought it was pretty much standard to just think about baseball and twist its head around backwards. I couldnt imagine gang-land executing a dove and blowing it to smithereens, wasting the animal.

Legally? someone else is gonna have to chime in.

 

[Shotgun693]

Legally it's a State by State deal. I don't bow hunt so it doesn't effect me. If I have crippled game I'll finish it with whatever is handy.

 

[Jason_G]

Is it legal or ethical to dispatch wounded game with a knife? Can we use legally carried firearm during bow season to dispatch an animal with a mortal wound?

In Louisiana during bow season, you are not allowed to have a handgun unless it is .22 rimfire, and even then it must be loaded with rat shot. You need to check your state WL&F website.

Jason

 

[Vt.birdhunter]

Ethical, sure.
Just be safe....I would NOT try to finish a deer sized critter with a blade. Let it bleed, let nature do her work. You would be safer using another arrow if you had to speed things up.

Laws around here are the same as mentioned by others, NO firearms allowed on your person during bow season.

 

[hogdogs]

Ever since I learned to "stick" a pig, I no longer need to waste a round on a kill shot for the most part...Just a quick tussle and the critter is handled clean and humane...

Brent

 

[EMN89]

As a hunter I believe it is my responsibility to end the game animals life as quickly and as painlessly as possible. That being said I have finished off 3 or 4 deer with a knife I wouldnt recommend it but the reason for doing so was the animals were found after legal shooting light and I used the only other weapon I had on hand.

 

[abelacres]

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS!

This thread from last year was closed, but it's still worth reading-
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438245&highlight=game+warden+357

 

[YARDDOG(1)]

"[Just a quick tussle and the critter is handled clean and humane]"

Yes a long blade to the hart. Quick & Humane
Y/D

 

[nate45]

Ever since I learned to "stick" a pig,/QUOTE]

Thats what I was gonna say, works on hogs, works on deer. Also,its gotta be less messy than the last one I shot in the head with a .44 Mag.

One word of caution though. If a big 'ol 200+ pound buck is lying there with his eyes closed; Be careful, you could end up getting hurt.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

You have an ethical responsibility to end that animals life ASAP. Finding the animal when it is not legal to discharge a weapon leaves one with very little choice. The VAST majority of the time, I believe that we have an ethical duty to follow all laws. However, in this case, the ethical responsibility to the animal that you have grievously wounded overrides any legal issues of killing it with a knife.

I have done it twice. Once when I spined a deer with my bow because it was (unknown to me) damaged and a follow up shot was not possible and once when my only other option was a 12ga slug on an animal that was unconscious but still alive.

It's disgusting, to say the least, but you make your bed, you lie in it. It's part of hunting, if you can't/won't, don't hunt.

And yes, you have to be very, very careful. Even a doe could hurt you bad. A buck, well, those horns can do nasty things.

 

[MLeake]

I had a friend who had to finish off a deer with a knife one time, due primarily to poor planning on his part. Dropped one deer, in a state where the limit is not one, and tried a shot at a second deer. Missed, fired a third shot (his last, in a 7mm Magnum). Also missed... Ill-advised shot, as deer two was running at this point, so it's as well he missed.

But then, deer one got up and started running.

So now my friend has to tackle a deer, in a stream -where he finally caught up to it - and all he had was a Buck 110.

He felt like an idiot. Rightfully, so, IMO.

1) Should not have tried the second deer before being absolutely sure of the first.

2) Should not have fired the third shot at the running deer.

3) Should have brought more ammo than just what was in his rifle.

4) As it turned out, and since he didn't follow 1-3, should have had a bigger knife.

 

[ripnbst]

It is both legal and ethical to finish a game animal with a knife.

 

[hogdogs]

I don't carry a "long" blade... I tote just the Buck 110 folder with 3.75 inch blade. One poke and a swirl and the critter is done for in seconds...

Brent

 

[Pahoo]

Always ethical but may not be legal

It is both legal and ethical to finish a game animal with a knife.

As others have replied, you have to check your state laws. What may be ethical and logical to you and me, isn't always legal. There are just too many gray areas. Often times when you ask, you may not like the answer. I once dispatched a deer ouit of season that was hit by a car and really go a butt chewing by the Sherrif's deputy. He let me slide and knew he would. Y'all know what's ethical. ....


Be Safe !!!

 

[highvel]

I believe in ending the animals suffering quickly and a knife works very well, I've had to use a knife on a few and if you approach right it's quick and easy.

I have a friend who shot a buck which ran into a creek, the buck was hurt bad from the 12ga slug but still alive,he went into the waist deep water to try and drown the deer. Well, soon as he grabbed the deer's antlers he didn't know who had who, the buck almost got the better of him before he finally got his head under water long enough.
I laughed so hard as he was telling me the story, standing there soaked from head to toe and white as a sheet

Wish I had a video of that one!

 

[acohoon]

I've killed more rabbits than I can think of with my bare hands. I'm all for finishing them as fast as possible.

My dad still tells a story about how he and three friends tracked a deer through the woods for hours and finally caught it at dark. One of his friends had taken a loooong shot at it with a 30-30 and blown its leg off at the knee. Thinking the deer was dead one of them grabbed it by its antlers and it went wild and pinned his hand against a tree and started doing its best to rip his fingers off. My dad pulled out his knife and cut said deer's throat before he even realized what he was doing. He brought a quick end to a bad situation.

Moral of the story: Take shots that kill the animal the first time. If that doesn't work get the job done ASAP.

 

[Newton24b]

the problem is that if you shoot a deer with a firearm during an archery only season, the game warden is going to point to the convenient hole in the deers head and tell the judge at your trial your a poacher, and youll probably have 5 grand in game fines, and some jail time to serve.


you just have to learn to get better broadheads and take better shots.

 

[Outlaw81]

Its both legal and ethical. There's no state that has a law against going caveman. Better make sure the deer is in shock pretty good cause u don't want a Buck doin the crappie flop.between ur legs!! DO NOT TRY PINNING A DEER LIKE A HOG!! stab it in the neck and twist ur blade. I've got two scars on the inside of my thighs and one on my chest from a little 8-pointer 5 years ago. Just try using common sense around a dying critter. If u need to hurry, just shoot him again. Don't worry about the game wardens after dark. An honest story from a straight face will get u pretty damn far!!

 

[FrankenMauser]

While I do find it ethical to end the animal's suffering as quickly as possible, it, often, is not legal.

Even using a knife for the coup de grâce makes me a poacher in the eyes of the states I patronize for hunting. I've done it, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again, if necessary. But, it IS illegal where I hunt.


I don't archery hunt, so the situation that prompted this thread doesn't apply to me. However, if I did archery hunt, I would only carry my legal concealed handgun. It would, most likely, never be used on game. Poaching is not a laughable offense where I hunt, and the report of a pistol WILL draw attention to a bow-hunter's prey with a bullet hole in it.


It may be ethical, but how well can you balance the potential legal penalties against your own ethics?

(I understand there are states where a handgun is allowed to be used for dispatching wounded game, even for archery hunts. My example was not intended to apply to those states/situations.)