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

[2damnold4this]

Sounds like your poacher friend chose NOT to have a bow with him!!!

Let's see, using legal archery tackle he legally inflicted a fatal wound on a deer but the deer was taking its time to die. He later tried to put down the suffering animal with a handgun but was unsuccessful. How exactly did he poach the deer?

Perhaps you meant that he cooks by slowly simmering food in a liquid. I don't know if he cooks using that method or not.

 

[Chaz88]

Perhaps you meant that he cooks by slowly simmering food in a liquid. I don't know if he cooks using that method or not.

Fish is good poached in liquid. Deer benefits more from braising.

 

[Cheapshooter]

How exactly did he poach the deer?

From Georgia Fish and game regulations book.

Deer & Bear Firearms
• Modern Rifles and Handguns: Centerfire
Only, .22-cal. or larger with expanding
bullets.

he got a shot off with his .22lr revolver before she ran off.

Illegal firearm for deer!

Also, your states game regulations are difficult, at best to find information in, but I think if you ask an agent he will tell you that it illegal to use a firearm to finish off a deer wounded by an arrow.

Archers may not possess any centerfire, rimfire, or muzzleloading firearm while hunting
during the archery deer season , except that
any person possessing a license to carry a
concealed firearm that is valid in this state
pursuant to OCGA §§ 16-11-126(f) or
16-11-129 may carry such firearm subject to
the limitations of OCGA §§ 16-11-126 and
16-11-127 except where prohibited by federal law.

I think this paragraph may be the root of some misunderstanding. It is intended to allow holders of a CCW permit to have their concealed firearm on them, but it is not intended to allow it use on an animal.

I'll give your pall the benefit of the doubt, and say that he misunderstood the law, and made a mistake not going back after the deer with a legal method.

 

[2damnold4this]

Also, your states game regulations are difficult, at best to find information in, but I think if you ask an agent he will tell you that it illegal to use a firearm to finish off a deer wounded by an arrow.

Georgia game regulations are somewhat nebulous. Is it legal to use a flashlight to get to a stand before daylight or to get out of a stand at dark? Is it even legal to go to a stand before daylight or is that "hunting at night." Is it legal to track a wounded deer after dark? Can I use a flashlight to track a wounded deer after dark or must I use a light mounted to my head? Can I use a knife, Bamaranger's spear or other method not listed as an approved hunting weapon to dispatch wounded game?

With all the confusion Tuesday, I did call the conservation officer's office for the county where I had been and told them my name and that I had used a handgun to put down a deer that had been wounded by an arrow. They said "You're fine. That isn't hunting, it's dispatching a wounded animal." I don't know if that means that it is legal but that CO thought it was ok. If someone had shot an unwounded animal with a firearm during bow season, I suspect the answer would have been different.

 

[2damnold4this]

Deer benefits more from braising.

Sounds like you owe us a post on the recipe thread.

 

[American Made]

I wouldn't dispatch any large animal with a knife. My friend found himself in deep doo-doo when he tried this with a mule deer. But...He thought that animal was dead though. When he told us about this I was laughing so hard I couldn't take it anylonger.

He just knocked the deer out with the shot - grazed the head. Then when he sat down by the animal, it awakened

 

[ZeroJunk]

I wouldn't dispatch any large animal with a knife. My friend found himself in deep doo-doo when he tried this with a mule deer. But...He thought that animal was dead though. When he told us about this I was laughing so hard I couldn't take it anylonger.

A couple of my friends got in to that when they were kids. I'm not sure of the details, but one ended up trying to hold the buck while the other was trying to stab it with a pocket knife. I think he beat them both up pretty good. Funny to here them tell about it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

To add to the confusion, many state and national forests prohibit the carrying of an "cutting instrument". No pocket, skinning knives, camp axes, nothing.
BTW, what is the broadhead on an arrow if not a "cutting instrument". Regs. can be stupid.

 

[dahermit]

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

Unless a game warden is there to observe you, it is a moot question whether it is legal or not. Ethical? Yes, ends suffering faster.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

The COs are often on the side of practicality, and spirit of the law, rather than letter of the law.

I was once privy to a conversation between a person who had hit and grievously wounded a nice buck and the CO on the 24hr number. The guy was calling to get a CO sent out to dispatch the very alive but unable to get up and run animal, this was near midnight.
Anyway, the CO made it VERY, ABUNDANTLY clear what he was getting at when he said, "If I had an officer out that way I'd send him to help, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY OFFICERS ANYWHERE NEAR YOU, if I had any officers ANYWHERE NEAR YOU, I'd send them BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY OFFICERS ANYWHERE NEAR YOU... Do you understand what I mean?"

It was a very clear wink and nod to do what you have to do, without actually giving permission to do it.

Most everyone understands that even laws against such things are there to prevent INTENT not to prevent dispatching of wounded animals and allow them to suffer.

Some states, Texas is one, now have specific rules about tracking and killing of legally wounded animals. They all should.

 

[jimbob86]

I have seen a grown man thrown several feet (and then roll head over heels down a hill!) when he grabbed a "dead" mule deer's antler and tried to cut his throat....... the deer just tossed his head sideways and Grandpa went over the deer and on down the hill...... he was lucky that the only thing hurt was his pride..... thereafter, grandpa would touch the deer's eyeball with his rifle muzzle before getting the knife out. If it blinked, he'd shoot it at the base of the skull (I learned the hard way not to shoot them in the head with a hi-powered rifle: brains are sticky.).....

 

[Cheapshooter]

The original topic involving the 22, and 9MM pistols intrigued me to the point that I contacted the Georgia Fish & Game department. I fully detailed the incident as you described, and this is the answer the emailed me this morning. Your wildlife Rangers are much more tolerant than the Conservation Agents in my state! My apology to you and your hunting friend.

You are correct, this would technically be an illegal activity. With that said, our
Rangers would look at the situation on a case by case basis. In many cases, simply
dispatching a wounded deer with a pistol would not result in charges if it was clear that
is in fact what had happened. If there was any evidence of an attempt to circumvent the
intent of the law, then the hunter could be charged.

As far as the OT, and using a knife, I think that would be a possible danger to the hunter. Even "dead" deer have came back to life (woke up) and caused serious injury to hunters. I still think another arrow, or bullet would be the best approach.

 

[spclPatrolGroup]

If the deer is laying there and waiting to die, anything that ends the wait quickly is ethical, but if its sitting there with itshead up and alert, its not smart to move in with a knife, deer kick, bite, and can get pretty nasty.

Also not smart to do it in front of a young kid on his first trip to deer camp I found out.

 

[FrontSight]

Legal depends on the local and state laws, but it is absolutely ethical. The jugular bleeds out the animal within seconds.

 

[tahunua001]

it depends on state laws but any state I've ever hunted in actually forbids dispatching them with a handgun bullet in the head but slitting the throat is common practice on all of these same states.(all pac northwest). if you are prolonging suffering then that is more unethical than ending it's misery. so in my opinion and as per my state laws no, slitting a wounded animals throat is not illegal or unethical and though I would personally rather do a quick gunshot to the head, that's frowned upon by the law so I gotta go with the less pleasant task.

 

[2damnold4this]

My apology to you and your hunting friend.

Accepted : )

 

[BUFF]

If you've ever looked into the eyes of a deer as you were slitting it's throat, you'll want to be a better marksman. It's creepy.

Kansas has some hang up with letting you carry a firearm with you when you bow hunt. I can understand a rifle or shotgun, but no handguns? It would be perfect for dispatching a wounded animal. They have a reg and you are legally obligated to make an attempt to harvest any game animal that you've wounded. And if you need to defend yourself from some other wild animal like a badger, snake, rabid coyote or fox, jelous husband...etc.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

If you've ever looked into the eyes of a deer as you were slitting it's throat, you'll want to be a better marksman. It's creepy.

Creepy, yes, quite an understatement actually.

However, crap happens to the best of marksman. One of the times I had to do it was a standing broadside 12 yard shot on a large doe. I can hit quarters at that distance with my bow. I missed the aim point by a good 12" or more.... equipment malfunction. Marksmanship was irrelevant.

 

[Hog Buster]

Somebody has to say it. This is much ado about nothing. I can’t count the times I’ve had to wring a neck or cut a throat, of birds or game that had been just crippled. Not only is it ethical and legal, it’s the moral thing to do, you shot it, finish the job.

If you don’t have the stomach for it, don’t hunt, but a little blood on your hands won’t hurt you. You don’t have to dispatch wounded critters with a gun shot, carry a knife. A hunting knife, not one you use to clean fingernails with. Don’t have a knife? Crippled small game can be readily killed by breaking their neck. You’ve got hands, haven’t you?

Wounded large game, deer, bear, hogs, etc. might rate another shot, depending on the circumstances. But, I can’t get over the thought of Bubba the Dove hunter pumping a 12 gauge round into a 4 ounce wounded creature flopping around on the ground. Pick it up, wring it’s neck, stuff it in game vest.

 

[Outlaw81]

Its funny u mentioned birds. With dove, quail, and sometimes pheasants, I generally rip their heads off when I pick em up. Its just habit now.