Horrible Thing on the Road This Afternoon

[matthewb0051]

Coming home around 1pm from court today in a residential area but 4 lane road. I noticed a lot of cars coming to a stop and then I saw it.

A pretty good size Buck had been hit by a car. Poor thing was in the middle of the road obviously injured. The most heartbreaking this was the deer kept trying to stand up but could not due to injuries. Car took some pretty bad front end damage too.

As always, I had a pistol on my belt. For a long minute I thought about parking and putting the poor thing out of its misery. But then I realized that discharging a firearm in a municipality of over 100k population is a Class A misdemeanor. So rather than be able to do the humane thing I chose to not engage.

The downstream for me would have been arrest, having to bond out, having the firearm seized. I know I would have prevailed in court but the up front cost was too great.

So the right, humane thing, could not be done. Aggravating. Gotta be honest, I got a bit choked up when I got home a mile later.

[masraum]

that sucks, but you've also got to watch out for yourself.

[Scott Douglas]

Happened to me one rainy night when I lived up in Nor Cal on a vineyard, only it wasn't a buck it was a fawn. I told the gal who hit it that I'd take care of it.
Got a hammer out of my tool box and used it. It's skull reminded me of an egg shell.

I'd have used it on that buck, or, use a tire iron.
Do you carry one of them in your car?

[HobieMarty]

A lady friend at work hot a deep last night on her way home. It really messed up the front of her Telluride but nothing that can't be fixed. She said the deer (doe) was knocked down into a ditch, she carrys but couldn't get down to the deer to put it out of its misery. That really sucks.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Rick Lee]

That same thing happened to a former boss of mine while he was on his way to work - taught meat cutting at a vocational school. Cop was there, but said he wasn't allowed to use his gun. My boss asked if he could shoot it with his own gun and take the kill to his class. Cop said no problem.

[Arizona_928]

I was driving the on the US90 in Minnesota one night. A Buick La Sabre passed me and i thought “i haven’t seen one of those in 10 years”. About 400 or so meters ahead, i see it slam on the brakes and pull over. It squarely whacked a doe head on. Not much left of that deer.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Happened to me one rainy night when I lived up in Nor Cal on a vineyard, only it wasn't a buck it was a fawn. I told the gal who hit it that I'd take care of it.
Got a hammer out of my tool box and used it. It's skull reminded me of an egg shell.

I'd have used it on that buck, or, use a tire iron.
Do you carry one of them in your car?

https://youtu.be/MX7Yo0tWDgk?si=gCgT_WMCUd76tpTJ

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Happened to me one rainy night when I lived up in Nor Cal on a vineyard, only it wasn't a buck it was a fawn. I told the gal who hit it that I'd take care of it.
Got a hammer out of my tool box and used it. It's skull reminded me of an egg shell.

I'd have used it on that buck, or, use a tire iron.
Do you carry one of them in your car?

I was in my Panamera, which I don't believe has a spare or a tire iron. Hope I never have to find out. I've looked in the boot area but there is only a plug in pump. Not sure what that will do if needed.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by masraum

that sucks, but you've also got to watch out for yourself.

Yep. I know the PITA it is to deal with the PoPo or Sheriff. No doubt I would win if charged but just the stupidity of it. That said, I'm sure some do gooder would have had a fit if I shot the poor deer. BTW, it was at least 8 points. There is a RR track where it happened and there are a lot of deer living down there. If we ever have disruption of civilization, I will not be going hungry.

[Alan A]

Happens here every few years. Part of our front yard is wooded - it’s one of very few with enough property to keep that way - and there’s a wooded empty lot across the road. Deer use it as a crossing point 2x daily.

We have to call the state police every time. Last time was two years ago. But discharging a firearm oneself within 500’ of a house is no bueno here.

Of course we are left to dispose of the carcass, which is a whole nother deal.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

My wife just said, "put it in reverse and finish the job". Didn't even occur to me.

Yahoo had a similar story/situ the other day. My comment was the same as your wife's.
Get the car out and run over the head....put it out of it's misery.

[GH85Carrera]

I was on the road that is a 45 MPH speed limit. I saw a squirrel that had just been hit by the car in front of me. The squirrel's back half was crushed, and he was using just his front legs to drag himself along. I aimed for his head and put him out of his misery.

Just a few days ago, a couple in a car on I-35 near Guthrie, OK hit a deer and it killed the deer, and disabled the car. For whatever reason they did not get pulled off the interstate. They got out of the car to inspect the damage, and they were hit by a truck, and it killed both of them. The interstate was closed for over 8 hours for the investigation and cleanup. Why they did not get off the interstate was never made clear in the news article.

[Seahawk]

One of the joys of rural living is the wildlife...also, at times, the saddest.

Growing up on a small ranch in California and then over 30 years here on the farm, I have had to intercede in the lives of a more than a few animals.

I keep a rifle and a pistol with me when I am out in the Ranger around the farm.

This time of year is the worst...deer bow season and muzzle-loader seasons bring out some unfortunate hunters without much discretion or skill. I have probably had to end the misery of 10 deer, from dfawns to stags, with horrific injuries, over the years.

I don't like it, but I do it.

The OP made the right call, btw.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Why they did not get off the interstate was never made clear in the news article.

My initial thought/response is/would be "because people are idiots". Trying to give them the benefit of a doubt, an accident like that would likely put a lot of folks in shock and when they're in shock, rational thought probably takes a back seat.

[David]

I've found injured deer while out on bike rides a couple times. I was able to find a cop pretty quickly and let them know. I assume/hope they went back and took the animal out of it's misery.

I saw an injured racoon on the bike trail last year same situation. Someone put a box over it for some reason. I was tempted to kill with my foot but just couldn't do it.

Another bike ride, I came across a dead armadillo with a Get Well Soon mylar balloon on it. I should have taken a picture

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

My wife just said, "put it in reverse and finish the job". Didn't even occur to me.

I would have no problem putting a bullet in an animal. I don't think I could drive over it's head with a car.

[Otter74]

A couple of summers ago, a friend and I were out for a longer ride on a summer Saturday. We were in the north suburbs (Chicago) on a path that paralleled a wide road, four lanes and a turn lane, traffic doing 45-50 or so. As we were riding along, we saw a mother duck and half a dozen or so ducklings on the grass verge, and it looked like she was getting ready to lead them across the road. There was no way in hell they were going to make it without help, so I got off my bike and stood in the near lane (fortunately we were a ways down from the nearest traffic light, which had been red) waving at traffic as they began to cross. I could do this only as far as the middle of the road - trying to do this the whole way across would have put me in too much danger from the traffic on the other side. As they were halfway across the other wide of the road, a driver who obviously wasn’t paying enough attention just…flattened about half of them. Several ducklings were killed immediately, and one was, like your squirrel, gravely injured but alive, and could do nothing but quack in fear and pain. The mother was sort of running around in small, frantic circles and quacking. It was - and I don’t use this word very often - heartbreaking. The image stuck with me and still comes back from time to time, unbidden. There was nothing more I could do for them.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I was on the road that is a 45 MPH speed limit. I saw a squirrel that had just been hit by the car in front of me. The squirrel's back half was crushed, and he was using just his front legs to drag himself along. I aimed for his head and put him out of his misery.

Just a few days ago, a couple in a car on I-35 near Guthrie, OK hit a deer and it killed the deer, and disabled the car. For whatever reason they did not get pulled off the interstate. They got out of the car to inspect the damage, and they were hit by a truck, and it killed both of them. The interstate was closed for over 8 hours for the investigation and cleanup. Why they did not get off the interstate was never made clear in the news article.

[ramonesfreak]

Last fall I was taking a fall drive in the 911 when I came across a car on the side of the road. A guy had hit a fawn….tiny little baby. The man was on the side of the road kneeling down, comforting it with no idea what else to do. I’ve seen a lot of stuff like this and it really gets me down. I hit a pigeon over the week on the highway because some a hole was tailgating me and I could not slow down enough without her ramming me. Ruined my day.

I hit a deer in 1991 on the NYS thruway going 80 at 2am. The deer was pregnant and the baby flew right out of it. Horrible. I love animals so much and find it hard to shake it off.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The OP made the right call, btw.

Thanks.

Today, I was telling a buddy (judge), his bailiff, and a few attorneys the story. They all agreed that if I had done the humane thing I would have been arrested and charged with discharge firearm in municipality over 100k population. The judge went on to say he would have dismissed it if it were in his court.

Bailiff (sheriff deputy) said that they can't even shoot the deer in this scenario. Have to wait on Game Wardens. But with a wink, he said nothing would happen to them if they did.

Then I realized that if I had followed thru, there would be some enterprising DA that would have charged me with cruelty to non-livestock animal. I actually had a case last year, cruelty non-livestock animal, the deceased animal was a GOLD FISH. No joke. Some supervisor got uptight about the thing and wouldn't let anyone dismiss it. Argument led my client to knock over the fish bowl. We were ready to go to trial until sanity prevailed.

[Alan A]

Naturally after this we just got our first of the year.
50 yards up the hill, so outside the neighbor, but at least it was DRT and - bonus - in the road.

Why bonus? The town only disposes of the carcass if it’s in the road.
On your property, your problem. No sign of the vehicle of course.

Gets kinda sad when you see a group of 5 every day.. then 4.. then 3..