Deer Hunters @#$%$#@

[JeanieK]

We have a lot of deer. They are here every day morning and evening. It's hunting season. We came home this evening, just at dusk when the deer are out. There in my yard were 5 does and 1 buck with only 3 legs the poor thing was trying to get around on 3 legs.

Aren't you supposed to track and kill the animal if you wound it.

It broke my hear to see this beautiful majestic animal, crippled by some "mighty Hunter" that couldn't even shoot straight. I know they have to be hunted, but if you're going to hunt then do it responsibly, and if you wound an animal then track it till you find it.

These animals don't even run when they see people. They just stand and look at us. That isn't even hunting.

I am so glad my grandkids didn't see it. they love to come out to watch the deer in the evening. They would have cried to see that poor crippled animal.

[MeganS]

Oh my gosh! that poor thing. How sad!

I hate hunting. But more than anything I hate it when people hunt for nothing more then to shoot, and they cut off the head and leave the rest there for nothing. And the idea that someone could shoot an animal, miss, and walk away totally sickens me.

What jerks. And they must be pretty sucky hunters too.

[BLowry]

O the poor thing! I HATE hunting....I know that they would die from starvation and they have to be thinned out but, I just hate it! they are such beautiful animals. I really don't know how these men (and some women) can look at this beautiful, graceful creature and shoot it. Like I said I realize this needs to be done, as much as I hate to say this...I would rather see them shot and killed instantly than to die from starvation or from an injury like that poor doe has...how painful that must be..I am SO glad my husband isn't a hunter...I don't think I could deal with it.

[simonandhallie]

That is horrible and I've been a hunter my whole life (that's what you do when you are from Alaska). It is irresponsible to mame an animal and not track it. It should not be suffering like that, is there anyone you can call like the Department of Fish and Wildlife?

Do people trap in your area? In Alaska a lot of people trapped for fox, rabbitts, etc. and other animals would get stuck in them and literally chew their own legs/arms off to get out of them.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by simonandhallie

That is horrible and I've been a hunter my whole life (that's what you do when you are from Alaska). It is irresponsible to mame an animal and not track it. It should not be suffering like that, is there anyone you can call like the Department of Fish and Wildlife?

Do people trap in your area? In Alaska a lot of people trapped for fox, rabbitts, etc. and other animals would get stuck in them and literally chew their own legs/arms off to get out of them.

No trapping, not that I know of. That would be horrible too.

The deer limped off, so I'm guessing he will go back to the woods and a coyote will get him eventually. It was just a sad sight to witness.

[Willow]

That is terrible!! My husband hunts, but we use the deer he takes. When he gets shot in if they don't drop then he will follow their trail until he finds them. He gets upset when he sees deer that were shot and left.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by Willow

That is terrible!! My husband hunts, but we use the deer he takes. When he gets shot in if they don't drop then he will follow their trail until he finds them. He gets upset when he sees deer that were shot and left.

That is the responsible thing to do,, maybe not much fun, but responsible. I can't imagine this guy was traveling too fast, he was having a terrible time getting around.

It's like shooting fish in a barrel out here these deer will just stand and stare at you.

Ollie and Chachi go crazy when the deer are out and they don't even lift their heads to look at what is making all the rucus.

[MeganS]

I say, it's not even fair game if the deer are like that. When hunting is a "sport," it shouldn't be a free-for-all. (IMO)

[yorkieK9trainer]

As a daughter of an avid hunter I must ask you why you think the reason this buck only has three legs is because a hunter shot that leg? Odds are it was something completely unrelated to a gun shot and instead most likely due to the mating season.

MOST hunters I know do track down the deer once they've been shot. But sometimes that's not possible.
My dad only takes his shots when he *knows* that he's going to go down after that first shot or only be capable of making a few steps beyond before dropping.
I also want to say that if there is a young/novice hunter going w/ my dad (not the norm.) then when that young/novice hunter draws to shoot, my dad does the same. If the young hunter doesn't drop the deer on the first shot (he only gets one bullet and therefore one chance to pull that trigger) then my dad-who already has aim-will drop the deer.

I'm okay w/ hunting only if all of the carcass is to be used, by the way, otherwise I don't see how one could justify it.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by yorkieK9trainer

As a daughter of an avid hunter I must ask you why you think the reason this buck only has three legs is because a hunter shot that leg? Odds are it was something completely unrelated to a gun shot and instead most likely due to the mating season.

MOST hunters I know do track down the deer once they've been shot. But sometimes that's not possible.
My dad only takes his shots when he *knows* that he's going to go down after that first shot or only be capable of making a few steps beyond before dropping.
I also want to say that if there is a young/novice hunter going w/ my dad (not the norm.) then when that young/novice hunter draws to shoot, my dad does the same. If the young hunter doesn't drop the deer on the first shot (he only gets one bullet and therefore one chance to pull that trigger) then my dad-who already has aim-will drop the deer.

I'm okay w/ hunting only if all of the carcass is to be used, by the way, otherwise I don't see how one could justify it.

It is true, it did not necessarily have to be a hunter. However, I doubt that it would have lost his leg from fighting, and would still have a herd of females with him. and if it had ben a coyote that had ripped his leg off, then chances are he would not have gotten away.

So there is a possibility that it could have been something else, but it is hunting season, so I'm going with that theory.

Not all hunters are responsible. Heck it could have been Dick Cheney. LOL

[yorkieK9trainer]

"Not all hunters are responsible. Heck it could have been Dick Cheney. LOL"

ROFL-too true.

[ButterflyYorkie]

I am also ok with hunting if the carcass is used to benefit people. When I was little I was so against hunting. Bambi did it to me. But my dad who had hunted everything from deer to elk, convinced me to go squirrel hunting with him once. I actually got through it ok other than having to be so quiet which is why he probably never took me again, lol.

I do have an AWESOME exerience with a baby deer. My daughter and I were outside about 4 yrs ago...here comes hubby with a baby deer, tiny little thing still kinda wobbly. It was very skinny...I believe it was malnourished. I've seen several baby deer in my time where I live and this one looked very skinny and weak in compairson. He found it near a ditch by itself. It was not hidden away like a doe will do with her baby. Well we ADOPTED this baby that we called Buttermilk. Now to feed it. I took a regular child's bottle and fed her goats milk every day on cue when it would come to our back door and "call" us! I began to cut up apples in little chunks and thats how we got it on solid food. This little deer stayed in our back yard, right behind some brush at the edge of our yard every day for an entire month and would let us sit with it, rub it, talk to it, feed it, and clean it! By about the end of the first week it was there, it was walking around with us. Following us as if we were it's mother. I do have pictures of us with Buttermilk, they are not digital but I can share those with you some time! Several of our friends would come out just to see what they called "amazing"!
Then one day, she was just gone. I can only hope she was ready to leave and be on her own, or her mother finally found her. We actually searched and called for this little deer the day we couldn't find her. We did get attached. Throughout the time we "had" her so to speak, we were told by people that it was perfectly legal for us to be doing what we were as long as we did not keep her in captivity which we didn't have to...she stayed right near us! I can honestly say I've never met such a needy and trusting little animal in my life than her! She was never afraid of us from the first minute she was here! I guess the hunting posts got me to thinking about her because I've often prayed she was not a target. It was one experience I will never forget!

[yorkieK9trainer]

Here's another story from another deer lover-myself:

I work at a facility where we train ALL dogs, including police dogs. Well one night one of our K-9 officers arrived at a scene where it was called in that there was a burglary. When he got there, the burglar was none other than the biggest doe he had ever seen. Well, the place was TRASHED! She had jumped through a large glass window into a cubicle sort of area w/ computers and what not and there was blood everywhere...it was just a mess. She had injured herself while breaking the window apperently.
Well, he wound up shooting her and taking her down. She called my boss (if there is a deer hit by a car for example and he can come get it almost immediately, he'll begin processing it so that the meat doesn't go to waste) and came and got her.
He brought her to the training facility-to clean her and I just happened to be working that night. Well, I smelled that familiar smell and came around the corner to see what was going on and it was obvious. I asked one of my co-workers that was assiting him to fill me in on the details and I looked the doe over while he was talking. I stopped him and asked just how long she had been deceased and he said something like 15-20 minutes at the most. I JUMPED and asked him to cut open her abdomen- SHE WAS PREGNANT!
We pull out this perfectly formed little doe. She was ready to be born any day and that day just never came. Well, the both bodies were still warm and I tried and tried to recessitate (sp?) the little one for the next 5 mintues and got nothing. We're talking upside down clearing the mucous from the mouth w/ my hand and some towels; warming the body w/ some lamps while I worked; I EVEN DID MOUTH TO MOUTH on this little creature (using the same knowledge I have of doing this w/ a large breed of dog)....nothing worked. So, sadly she didn't come around. But I tried. She was quite lovely and I felt bad about the whole situation, but I find some comfort in knowing that the trajedy wasn't a complete waste.

Thanks for sharing the story about Buttermilk! Deer really are interesting animals.

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by BLowry

O the poor thing! I HATE hunting....I know that they would die from starvation and they have to be thinned out but, I just hate it! they are such beautiful animals. I really don't know how these men (and some women) can look at this beautiful, graceful creature and shoot it. Like I said I realize this needs to be done, as much as I hate to say this...I would rather see them shot and killed instantly than to die from starvation or from an injury like that poor doe has...how painful that must be..I am SO glad my husband isn't a hunter...I don't think I could deal with it.

you took the words out of my mouth - no one close to me hunts and I'm kind of glad - I know too there are benefits to it - but tell that to the deer wounded and in pain....

What's always bothered me is they call hunting a 'sport' - what kind of sport is all about killing ? There's nothing 'sporty' about stalking something that is no threat to you whatsoever.....

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by red98vett

you took the words out of my mouth - no one close to me hunts and I'm kind of glad - I know too there are benefits to it - but tell that to the deer wounded and in pain....

What's always bothered me is they call hunting a 'sport' - what kind of sport is all about killing ? There's nothing 'sporty' about stalking something that is no threat to you whatsoever.....

It bothers me too that they call killing a "sport" and, when the does have babies and the mother is killed the baby ends up dying...I just think it's so sad. And I really think they should stop bow and arrow hunting...you KNOW that poor animal must suffer unless they hit a major organ...otherwise they just keep running and bleed to death.

My next door neighbor put food out for them one year (deer food) and had 22 of them in his back yard...he had some come just about up to our back door and one that was eating one of our bushes right under our bedroom window! I just think they are such beautiful animals.